


Are we just sleepwalking through life?

by vendettadays



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drama & Romance, F/F, Family, Modern Royalty, Mutual Pining, Poor Disguises, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:41:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26716918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vendettadays/pseuds/vendettadays
Summary: Honeymaren wiped down the diner counter and looked up at the door before checking the clock. She had lost count of just how many times she had checked. Her regular was unusually late tonight.But Honeymaren waited, just as she had for the past two months, for the mysterious woman with the icy blue eyes who visited the diner every Mondays and Fridays without fail.(Modern Royalty AU)
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 91
Kudos: 203





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been rocking about in my head for the past two months. I've hesitated over posting it since it's not completely written down, and I haven't posted an ongoing fic in so many years for fear of losing steam. But here it is, the modern royalty au with a lot more plot than I had initially anticipated, but mostly just Honeymaren and Elsa pining at each other from close and afar. Hope you enjoy!

Honeymaren wiped down the counter with a rag, aproned hips swaying from side-to-side to the jazz music that filtered softly through the speakers. She always imagined if anyone looked into the diner from the outside, it would resemble something similar to the painting she’d once saw at the Art Institute of Arendelle. They didn’t have cherry wood countertops, only white lacquered plastic and instead of four figures, it would just be Honeymaren, a solitary figure lit against a backdrop of black and white framed photos of jazz musicians.

She stretched her arms up and looked at the door before checking the clock. Her regular was unusually late. Granted, her “regular” had only started coming by the diner in the last two months. But when Honeymaren didn’t usually see another soul until 4 a.m., anyone who came into the diner twice a week at around midnight was a regular to her. She snuck another look at the door again and sighed when it remained closed.

She triple checked the coffee machine, double checked the fresh pot of coffee was still hot enough to serve, and checked to make sure she had done all that was needed for the next hour. The next hour or so was something she treasured. It broke the monotony of her night shifts. It brought to her someone that she wanted to learn more about and if she could help it, she didn’t want anything to distract her.

The tinkle of the bell had Honeymaren spinning around, braid whipping wildly with the motion. A wide smile broke out on her face. ‘Hey, you’re late. You’re normally on time, so I almost thought you weren’t coming.’

Honeymaren cringed at her eagerness. God, could she have been any more obvious or more of a walking, talking, living and breathing disaster? But the woman didn’t seem to notice. A light blush dusted the woman’s cheeks, chilled into colour from being outside. Honeymaren shivered at the blast of winter that followed the woman into the diner.

The woman - Anna, as Honeymaren had found out a few weeks ago, when she had finally got the courage to ask the woman for her name - smiled shyly back, tucking a non-existent piece of hair behind her ear. Anna slid onto the stool, as Honeymaren poured a mug of hot coffee and placed it in front of her.

Anna cupped her hands around the mug. ’I was having trouble getting away.’

Her eyes were the most startling colour Honeymaren had ever seen, icy blue and framed by delicate lashes. She jerked backwards, caught in the act of staring too intently and busied herself with putting the coffee pot back onto the hot plate.

‘Aren’t you cold?’ Honeymaren raised an eyebrow at the oversized hoody and the black leggings Anna wore. Sure, the leggings looked thick, but they were _leggings_ after all. ‘It’s November.’

‘The cold never bothered me much.’ Anna shrugged and sipped her coffee, a look of pleasure crossing her expression as she sighed contently.

‘I really worry that you’re drinking coffee so early in the morning.’

‘How do you know this isn’t the start of my day?’ countered Anna with a quirk of her finely, shaped eyebrow. ‘I could be on the way to work after here.’

‘But you’re not. You…’ Honeymaren racked her mind for what Anna did for a living. She paused when she realised that she didn’t know. ‘What exactly do you do?’

Anna ducked her head, fingers playing with the ear of the mug. She hesitated, mouth opening and closing before settling with, ‘I work in my family's business.’

Noticing Anna’s discomfort, Honeymaren dropped the line of questioning she wanted to ask and diverted the track of conversation. ‘Must be hard if you're keeping these hours and drinking coffee when everyone else is sleeping.'

'I guess you could say it's a job that never ends.' A wry smile played on Anna’s lip, coupled with a mysterious look that left Honeymaren a little breathless. 'But that's kind of like yours?'

'Me?’ Honeymaren shook her head. ’No, this is my night job, by day I'm a student at the University.'

'You're a student?' Interest brightened Anna’s face and she leaned forward. 

‘Final year at the School of Veterinary Medicine!’ Honeymaren puffed out her chest, proud to be the first Nattura to be admitted into university. She had almost given up on university, but her Aunt had pushed her and at the age of twenty-four, Honeymaren had finally received her acceptance letter.

‘I would have loved to have studied on campus.’ 

‘You didn’t go?’ Honeymaren wanted to know more about this woman. She wanted to know what caused the shy wistfulness in Anna’s eyes, tempered by a reproachful dip of her eyebrow as if she shouldn’t have expressed her wants out loud.

‘I did, but not in the traditional sense. It was a lot of distance learning.’ There was that look again. The lightly pursed lips, fidgeting fingers, and a cautious hesitance in Anna’s guarded eyes.

‘That’s cool. What did you study?’

Honeymaren’s eyes bugged out of her head as she learned that Anna had a Bachelors in Philosophy, Politics and Economics _and_ had a MBA all before she was twenty.

‘I would have preferred to study literature, but it was my parents’ wishes and I had a duty to realise their wishes.’

‘I hear you there. It’s hard to juggle your wants against the expectations of others, especially your parents.’ Honeymaren didn’t think her words expressed the comfort she wanted to offer, but she pushed down the urge to reach out as she watched the agitation in Anna’s fiddling fingers. ‘It’s a good thing you did distance learning. My first year on campus was spent wearing noise-cancelling headphones just so I could sleep and get my assignments done on time.’

Anna frowned, fingers stilling. ‘Why?’

‘The people in my dorm partied all the time and the girl next to my room had lots of loud sex.’ Honeymaren rolled her eyes as she remembered how often she had to bang on the walls. ‘I got good at making coffee to keep me from falling asleep when the headphones didn’t work.’

Anna stilled for moment, a light blush of pink appeared on her cheeks before she cleared her throat daintily. ‘Okay, your coffee’s not _that_ great.’

Honeymaren laughed loudly. Anna’s poised, even regal manner was so at odds with her jokes. It was all part of Anna’s charm, and it always warmed Honeymaren to see her humour come out more and more.

‘If it was my brother brewing, the coffee would have a life of its own and you could use it as truck fuel.’ Honeymaren added teasingly, ‘According to someone I know, my coffee is good enough for a 5000 kroner tip.’

‘That was one time!’ A furious flush spread across Anna’s cheeks.

Honeymaren gazed fondly at Anna, who seemed to smile a little more brighter with every one of their meetings. It was a far cry from thelonely figure from all those weeks ago. The one who had her hood pulled over her black hair, hunched over a mug of coffee and hidden in a booth at the back of the diner. Anna had sat quietly and hadn’t engaged with Honeymaren beyond ordering her coffee, thanking her when she had left half an hour later.

The silence of their first meeting hadn’t bothered Honeymaren, but the exorbitant tip Anna had left the first time did. She had rushed out of the diner thinking it must had been a mistake, but Anna had disappeared into the night like melting ice. The tip had covered her part of the rent for the rest of the month and even had enough left over for food.

‘I didn’t know how much I was supposed to tip!’ Anna covered her face with her hand.

Honeymaren leaned forward with her chin on her hand. ‘Hey, I’m only teasing.’

Anna’s eyes peeked through the gaps in her fingers. At Honeymaren’s encouraging smile, she dropped her hands from her face. The pink dusting her cheeks remained, completely cancelling out the glare she gave Honeymaren.

‘I hadn’t known the minimum wage in Arendelle was so low,’ said Anna quietly, downcast and sad. ‘I’ve already proposed to the council to raise the minimum wage in Aren—’ Anna choked on her words suddenly, ‘—In my family’s business.’

That happened often with Anna. Honeymaren didn’t know Anna’s whole story, but she always got sad whenever Honeymaren mentioned something like this. The sadness never lasted long, always replaced by a determined look.

For the next hour, Honeymaren talked about anything that came to mind, how her veterinary placement was going, the state of the weather, all in the hopes to keep Anna in her company for as long as she was allowed. Anna listened intently and didn’t seem to mind that Honeymaren did all the talking.

‘I’m not really sure what Ryder would—’ Honeymaren turned from stacking the mugs onto the shelf to see Anna’s attention was on the TV on the far end of the countertop.

The screen was plastered with a graphic of yesterday’s headline taken from the _Arendelle Mirror: QUEEN ELSA, OUR STONE-HEARTED SOVEREIGN_

The image fell away and Honeymaren grimaced at seeing the Ambassador of the Southern Isles, Hans Westergaard’s face fill the screen as he spoke to the talk show host. The TV was muted, but from the nods of his head and the concerned furrow to his brow, he must have been expressing his sympathy about the inflammatory tone of the headline.

‘Can you unmute the TV?’ Anna stared at the screen with a deep furrow between her brow, mouth thinned to a tense line. 

‘Look, the Southern Isles have always had a good relationship with Arendelle,’ Hans raised his hand at the host in a placating gesture, ‘Before you accuse me of doing a bit, please let me say my piece.

‘Queen Elsa is majestic, I mean she is _the_ Queen after all and as all monarchs do, she has to uphold an air of mystery. If that means she comes off asclosed, distant and lacking of warmth, that’s just the way it is.’ Hans shrugged into the camera and lifted his hands, palm up. ‘That’s the price she pays as Queen. Of course, I’m sure the public would love to see their Queen more during her royal duties instead of being locked up in her palace, but she does care for the country, even if it may not look like it.’

Honeymaren shook her head withholding her opinion of the Ambassador to herself. He said all the right words and acted in the right ways, but there was something about him that creeped her out. Hans left shortly after the interview, but as the show went on, the frown on Anna’s face only got darker. Apparently, the topic of the week was on the state of the monarchy.

A photo of the Queen span onto the screen. It was a paparazzi shot, one Honeymaren recognised was taken a few years ago as the Queen had left the funeral of King Agnarr and Queen Iduna.

It had been the first photo of Princess Elsa in years. The last time the public had seen the elusive princess was when she was ten years-old. Her first appearance in nearly a decade and the only things everyone focused on were the negatives. 

‘So audience, what do you think it’s like to be a Queen?’ asked the host of the show.

‘Lonely.’ The word slipped out of Honeymaren’s mouth involuntarily.

The Queen was regal and sophisticated in the photo. Her head tilted up slightly, chin raised and her blue eyes peered from beneath her lashes. Her expression was blank and seemed every bit as distant as Hans Westergaard described, but the Queen was a lone figure in a sea of flashing cameras and reporters with microphones, captured in a moment for the world to dissect.

Honeymaren thought the Queen looked so lonely in the photo and in every photo since. She turned away from the TV to see Anna staring at her with an indecipherable expression that had Honeymaren’s heart beating faster.

‘I—’ The vibrations of Anna’s phone interrupted whatever she was going to say. She picked up the phone from the counter, eyes widening as she looked at the screen. ‘I didn’t realise the time.’

Anna rummaged through her pocket for her wallet and threw down a few notes in a hurry. ‘Sorry, I have to go. I’ll see you later this week!’

Honeymaren waved weakly to Anna’s back as she rushed out of the diner. She sighed and cleared up Anna’s used mug. It was going to be a long fours days until Friday.

***

Elsa closed the door to her bedroom and rested her back against it, finally able to catch her breath having rushed back to the palace. Time had run away from her, as it often did when she spent time with Honeymaren.

Elsa stifled a scream as her bedside lamp clicked on. Soft yellow light bathed the corner of her room to reveal Anna in her night dress, resting against the headboard of Elsa’s bed, legs outstretched and crossed at the ankle. Anna looked every bit annoyed at being awake at 3 a.m.

'Where have you been?' Anna crossed her arms over her chest. ‘Bed empty, no note?’

Feeling like a child caught doing something wrong, Elsa walked to the left side of the bed, concentrating on the plush carpet beneath her bare feet. She got onto the bed and sat next to her sister. Technically, it was true, she had done something she shouldn’t have done.

‘Out for a walk?’ said Elsa, wincing at how weak her excuse was.

Anna gave a withering glare. ‘Sneaking out of the palace is not the same as going out for a walk.’

Elsa bit her lip. She had been able to get away with it for so long only because she’d ordered Kai to keep schtum, the Royal Guard was loyal to her, and Anna was too busy planning the Winter Solstice ball to notice. Until now.

‘Elsa…’ Anna’s glare fell away to a worried frown and Elsa immediately felt guilty. She had planned to tell Anna eventually, just not like this.

‘You _need_ to be careful, Elsa. We haven’t exactly been popular lately. What if something happened to you?’

‘I know, Anna. You’re right.’ Elsa rested her head on Anna’s shoulder.

Anna had every right to be worried. The Royal family’s popularity was at an all time low in Arendelle. Elsa had felt the stirrings of discontent for some time, even rumours of a Republic had reached her ears. But no matter how many times she raised the topic, some members of her Council of Advisors insisted that all was well with the Kingdom.

‘I’m sorry for making you worried.’

‘You’re going to keep sneaking out, aren’t you?’

‘Yeah.’ Elsa glanced at Anna, who groaned loudly and thumped a fist on Elsa’s bed in frustration.

‘Please tell me you’re not going by yourself.’

’Captain Johansson’s been escorting me. They stand guard outside the diner and we have four other guards for each trip, one stays in the car and the other three patrols the area.’ It had taken weeks of reconnaissance and strategising before Elsa had been given the go-ahead for that first trip. Captain Johansson of her Royal Guard - or Marshmallow as Elsa had once overhead them being called - had been firmly against the late night trips, but the poor Captain had no choice when Elsa had made up her mind. ‘No one’s recognised me so far.’

‘A wig, Elsa. Great disguise.’ Anna reached up and pulled the black wig off Elsa’s head. ‘Why are you doing this?’

Elsa thought about it. Her mind played back to earlier, listening to Honeymaren talk. She pushed away the selfish reasons that had arisen the more she spent with Honeymaren. Protecting the Kingdom was more important than herself and she had learnt so much about Arendelle from just a few hours of conversation with Honeymaren. Things about Arendelle that she’d realised her Council had been withholding.

‘To be a better Queen,’ answered Elsa simply.

Who could say that sneaking out in the middle of the night out into Arendelle could actually make her a better monarch? It wasn’t the best idea in the world, but it was one where she felt useful and a little more in control of herself.

‘You’re already a great Queen.’

Elsa smiled ruefully and thought about how a third of Arendelle lived below the poverty line, how they did not have a national minimum wage, how members of her Council were skimming money from the Royal Treasury for years without her knowledge, how the trade routes were being manipulated to benefit certain individuals, how she was failing in her duties…

’I could be better.’ Elsa held onto Anna’s hand in hopes that she could draw on her sister’s confidence. ‘I have a plan, but I will need your help.’

‘Whatever your plan is, you won’t have to do it alone. We’ll do it together—’ Anna mouth opened in a wide yawn. ‘But can we do it after I’ve had a full eight hours of sleep?’

Elsa was too tired to disagree. She pulled the covers over her, ignoring Anna who was already knocked out.

The last thing she thought as she drifted off to sleep was of Honeymaren and her welcoming smile.

***

‘We must respect the Southern Isles’ wishes! A renegotiation of the existing tariffs imposed on the Southern Isles will encourage more trade into Arendelle.’ The Duke of Weselton thumped his small fist onto the table to make his point. ‘Your Majesty, with all due respect, it will be at the Kingdom’s benefit to revisit discussions with the Southern Isles and now is the right time.’

Elsa regarded the Duke in silence. The Duke had been pushing the Southern Isles’ issue more and more in the last month. She looked quickly at Anna who frowned back, seemingly sharing the same opinion.

It had been a good an idea to bring Anna into the Council meetings. Elsa hadn’t realised how much she needed Anna there as an ally. 

‘I understand where you are coming from, but with the current political instability in the Southern Isles, we have to be mindful of timing. Let’s shelf the topic for now and continue.’ Elsa straightened and turned to Lord Bergman. ‘Where are we with the bill on raising the minimum wage in Arendelle? Is it ready for its first reading in the House?’

The Lord fumbled with his notes, shuffling papers after papers until he unstuck a post-it note from another piece of paper. ‘It’s being drafted as we speak. There seems to be some issue with the draughtsperson finding the right words—’

‘Lord Bergam,’ Elsa cut off the Lord’s explanation. ‘I sincerely doubt a draughtsperson would have any issues with finding the right words. I expect the final draft to be ready by next week’s council meeting.’ 

‘Of course, your Majesty,’ muttered Lord Bergam.

‘I also wish to see the reports for this year’s departmental spendings and the draft financial statements so far for the year. Have the reports ready by next week.’

Unease rippled around the circular table. Lord Bergman frowned down at the table, hands fidgeting with his papers. Elsa allowed the seconds to tick by in silence as she stared at him, letting him stew as she waited for him to continue.

‘Excuse me, Lord Bergman?’ Anna raised her hand, gaze darting from Elsa to the Lord nervously. ‘You look like you wanted to say something?’

Elsa bit the inside of her cheek. Anna’s method worked too.

‘Much obliged, your Royal Highness.’ He inclined his head to Anna before turning back to Elsa. ‘Your Majesty, forgive my impertinence, the late King Agnarr placed his trust in myself as the Lord Treasurer to maintain Arendelle’s public finances and policies. Just as King Runeard placed his trust in my father. May I ask the reason for your sudden interest in these matters?’

Anna’s head appeared above the Duke of Weselton’s toupee-topped head, hand over her mouth as her eyes went comically wide.

Elsa’s expression went blank. Impertinence, indeed. She turned her attention to each one of her advisors, her gaze lingered until they either looked away or stared defiantly back. Elsa raised her chin, back straightening as she clenched her fist beneath the table.

How had she been so blind to the Council’s crumbling loyalties? Each member of the Council had been handpicked by her grandfather, then her father, but over time their greed had skewed the Council’s interest for their own gain. They were a relic of another time and unrepresentative to the Arendelle she had rediscovered. 

And Elsa had done nothing to stop it.

Elsa stood up, a cacophony of scraping chair legs followed a second later as the Council got to their feet. She rested her fingertips against the table’s polished mahogany top.

‘I am Queen of Arendelle. As long as I am alive,make no mistake, I will always have an interest in all matters as they relate to this country.’ Elsa turned her back on the table with hands folded demurely in front of her middle and walked to the arched windows. ‘The Council’s dismissed.’

Elsa ignored the murmurs and the fading footsteps as the Council members took their leave. She stared out at the grey clouds and breathed in deeply, clenching and unclenching her hands in front of her stomach to hide the shaking as her heart pounded in her chest.

‘Oh my god! Elsa, you were so, so cool!’ Anna appeared next to her in a rush. ‘You should have seen their faces.’

Elsa giggled, the sound a little higher than usual as adrenaline coursed through her. She had stood up for herself and for what she believed was right. The feeling left her dizzy.

‘I need to form a new Council, but not before I find out how deep the corruption is.’ She couldn’t trust anyone on her Council to have Arendelle’s best interest at heart.

Anna saluted, her shoes clicking together at the heels in a perfect imitation of Captain Johansson. ‘Leave that to me. I know people who can help.’

Elsa released a deep breath. The tension returned to her shoulders as she thought about all the things she needed to do. Now they had this to add to their plate. Investigating and rooting out corruption whilst she pretended things were normal, and on top of choosing the floral arrangements for the ball.

She shook her head and focused on the manageable things. Warmth filled her, easing the tightness in her chest and her heart beat just a little faster. It was a Friday and there was only several more hours before she saw Honeymaren tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and the comments - it means so much to me! Here's chapter 2

Honeymaren flopped down into the empty chair opposite Anna. Other than Anna, there was no one else in the diner and Honeymaren really didn’t expect there to be anyone at this time of night. 

‘You’re pensive today.’ 

Anna jerked out of her thoughts and bit her lips, smiling apologetically. ‘Sorry, I’ve had a long day and haven’t really stopped thinking.’

‘It’s okay.’ Honeymaren reached out and placed her hand on top of Anna’s, offering a moment of comfort. ‘We all have those days.’ 

Anna froze and as the second passed a blush erupted on her cheeks, colouring her pale skin a flaming red. Honeymaren followed Anna’s gaze and withdrew her hand quickly, shoving both hands into her lap. 

‘Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.’ 

'No, no, no.' Anna stammered. She grabbed her mug and pulled it close to herself. ‘It wasn’t unwelcome. It felt... good and it stopped me thinking about my day.’ 

The tentative smile on Anna’s lips only renewed the furious pounding of Honeymaren’s heart and her face heated like a furnace at Anna’s declaration. But instead of anxiety at having done something she shouldn’t have, Honeymaren felt her nerves jitter for an entirely different reason. 

‘Can I ask your opinion?’ The question tumbled from Anna suddenly. 

‘Sure, anything.’

‘What’s your thoughts on the Royal family?’

Honeymaren blinked, taken aback at the question and sudden change in subject. She hadn’t expected a question like this, but then she remembered Anna’s reaction on Monday at the show. 

‘I can’t really say I have given them much thought? What I know is from what I’ve read online.’ 

It was hard to avoid the barrage of gossip that surrounded the Royal family, even when Honeymaren never actively searched for news relating to them. But from what she had seen, the media seemed to love Princess Anna, every article headline seemed to effuse the Princess’ personable character and focused on her warm smiles each time she made a public appearance. On the other hand, every photo of the Queen was of her unsmiling and indifferent, accompanied by articles criticising everything about her from her clothes, to her demeanour, down to the way she ruled the country. 

‘It would be unfair to base my opinion from the narrative the media chooses to tell,’ said Honeymaren truthfully. 

An intense furrow appeared between Anna’s brow, teeth worrying her bottom lip in agitation. She stared into the coffee mug in her hand as she digested Honeymaren’s words. This time Honeymaren consciously reached out and covered her hand over Anna’s fidgeting hands. She uncurled Anna’s fingers from the tight grip they had around the mug. She put the coffee down and held onto Anna’s hands in a loose hold. God, she hoped she hadn’t read wrong. The frown on Anna’s face eased, a grateful look in her eyes. Honeymaren breathed easier at the upward tilt on Anna’s lips. 

‘I’m Northuldra and the Royal family has respected our people’s wish for autonomy, our culture and our way of life.’ Honeymaren shrugged. Maybe she wasn’t the best person to answer this question. ‘If I was Queen, there would definitely be things I would change, but who wouldn’t if they had the power? But I don’t hold that kind of power and I’m not the queen. Honestly, I don’t think I could survive the political minefield, internal power struggles and jumping through hoop after hoop just to make a decision.’ 

Anna laughed out loud. She leaned back in her chair, breaking their contact and wrapped her arms around her middle. Honeymaren watched in amusement as Anna continued to laugh, her normally measured expression free and open as laughter shook her body. 

‘I think that was the best description I’ve heard of what it’s like to be Queen.’ A few more chuckles bubbled from Anna, not quite finished as she smiled widely at Honeymaren. 

Glad to have lifted Anna’s sombre mood for a moment, Honeymaren got up and changed Anna’s coffee for decaf. Anna scrunched her nose when she sipped it. 

‘You’ll thank me when you finally go to sleep,’ chastised Honeymaren. ‘Enough talk about the Queen. I want to know more about _you_.’ 

Anna’s eyes widened as if it came as a surprise to her that someone wanted to know her more. It was the same look from Monday and seemed to hold more questions than answers for Honeymaren. 

‘Okay,’ said Anna carefully, nodding to emphasise her point. ‘Ask away.’ 

Where should she start? The family business was off limits and apparently, so was the monarchy. Two months was really not enough time to learn all she could about this woman. There was so much Honeymaren didn’t know about Anna. Start off easy, that was what she would do.

‘Favourite fiction genre?’ 

A spark appeared in Anna’s eyes. ‘All of them. I love reading.’ 

‘Filing that piece of information for another time. Dancing, yes or no?’

‘No, definite no.’

‘What? You must have danced in your room before and sang into a hairbrush when you were a teenager?’ Honeymaren was shocked when Anna shook her head quickly. ‘You’re missing out, Anna. There are no words to describe the feeling of twirling with someone to a cheesy 80s tune and impressing them with all your best moves.’ 

‘I will just have to take your word for it. I’m really not a dancer.’ Anna shook her head, a grinned play on her lips. ‘I can sing…’ 

‘I bet you’re a hardcore metal fan. None of that soft, acoustic guitar stuff.’ 

Anna laughed, head thrown back and carefree. She paused, eyes looking up in thought before admitting, ‘I’ve never been to an arcade before.’

‘What?! How can that be?’ Honeymaren gaped at Anna in disbelief. ‘I think I spent most of my childhood with Ryder trying to beat the high score on Street Fighter. There was this one person who held all the high scores back home, even on Pac Man!’

‘I have no idea what Street Fighter is, but I have played Pac Man before.’ Anna gave Honeymaren an amused look. ‘I’ve always wanted to try those claw machines, even though I read somewhere that they’re rigged.’

‘You should try it, Anna. My Aunt always told me that living life is to experience something new each day.’

Anna shrunk in her chair, looking so distressed at Honeymaren’s words that she wished she could take them straight back.

‘I don’t think I’ve been living. It’s always felt like I’ve just been surviving, waiting for today to pass only to do the same the next day.’ 

Honeymaren bit the inside of her cheek and tried to find the right words to say, wanting to smooth away the frown lines that crossed Anna’s expression. Before she could say anything more Anna yawned widely, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. 

‘You look exhausted,’ commented Honeymaren, noticing the slightly darker skin beneath Anna’s eyes. 

‘Thank you, you really know how to compliment a woman.’ The sarcasm in Anna’s words was lost to another yawn. She reached up to rub her eyes. ‘It’s been a busy few days.’

‘Don’t do that.’ Honeymaren pulled Anna’s hand gently away. ‘It’ll irritate your eyes and you can’t sleep on a table in a diner either.’

‘Yes, I can. I always fall asleep on my desk at home.’ Anna folded her arms on the table and rested her head on top. ‘I won’t actually sleep, just close my eyes.’

‘You should head home.’

Anna frowned, clearly in disagreement with Honeymaren’s very reasonable logic. The merits of going home and sleeping in your own bed should have been infallible. ‘I don’t want to yet. I still have half an hour to spend with you.’

Honeymaren released a sigh, heart skipping a beat at the soft confession. She doubted Anna meant it in the way Honeymaren had interpreted, but that didn’t stop her from wishing otherwise. 

‘Fine, I’ll wake you up in half an hour. Then you have to promise that you will head home and sleep in an actual bed.’ 

Anna had already fallen asleep before she finished. Honeymaren shook her head, apparently, no amount of caffeine seemed to keep Anna from falling asleep. She went to the cupboard where the diner staff kept their belongings and came back to drape her coat over Anna’s sleeping form. 

***

The more Honeymaren thought about what Anna had said the more it bothered her. Who didn’t like dancing? And Anna had never been to an arcade? She raised the x-ray film to the light and examined the torn ligament in the adorable Great Pyrenees that had been rushed into the clinic earlier this morning. Anna looked so unhappy and it devastated Honeymaren that she felt was surviving and not living. 

Honeymaren sighed and put away the x-ray film into the folder. The dog would need surgery on its hind leg. 

What could she do to make Anna feel better? Anna looked so tired too and she was still going to the diner twice a week. 

‘There’s someone to see you.’ Erik poked his head into the room and pointed out into the reception area with his thumb. 

Honeymaren followed Erik, curious as to who would be visiting her in the middle of the week. It couldn’t have been Ryder who was on a field trip outside of Arendelle and wouldn’t be back for another two days. If there were any emergencies, Ryder would normally have called first. 

‘Aunt Yelena!’ Honeymaren was swept up in a hug by Yelena the moment she walked into reception. ‘What are you doing in Arendelle?’

‘On official Northuldra business.’ Yelena let go of Honeymaren, but didn’t let go of her hands. 

Honeymaren noticed the formal, ceremonial _gakti_ that her aunt wore. The deep, maroon red and bright patterns a contrast to the dark, browns Yelena usually wore back home. Worry tightened Honeymaren’s expression. ‘Oh, is everything okay at home?’ 

‘There’s nothing to worry about, Maren, just an invitation to the Palace for a meeting. I’m only staying one night and wanted to have an early dinner with my favourite niece.’ 

Honeymaren rolled her eyes. ‘I’m your only niece, Aunt Yelena.’

‘Which is why you’re my favourite. Now where is that troublesome nephew of mine?’

‘He’s on a trip for school.’ 

Yelena raised a disbelieving eyebrow. ‘You sure about that? Remember how he used to say he went to let loose the reindeer only for me to find that he had fallen asleep in the meadow?’ 

Honeymaren laughed at the memory. ‘That was one time!’

‘Well, it was one time too many,’ Yelena harrumphed and crossed her arms, but she couldn’t quite fight the smile that appeared. 

They spoke for a little longer and made plans to meet at a little café restaurant on the corner of _Margrethegaade_ at five. The café was right by the Royal Palace, so Yelena didn’t have to walk too far after she had finished with her business.

Honeymaren whizzed through her day after waving goodbye to her aunt. The surgery on the Great Pyrenees went successfully, the kennel cough vaccinations went without a hitch, and by the time four-thirty rolled round, Honeymaren had finished everything she needed to do and hurried out of the clinic, with her thick coat on to guard against the sudden dip in temperature. 

By the time she arrived at the café, Yelena was already seated at a table by the large window and examining the menu. Honeymaren dropped down into the seat opposite with a wide smile.

Her aunt said nothing, continuing to look at the menu, even though Honeymaren knew she would get what she always got. ‘I think I will have the pasta.’ 

‘Me too.’ She flagged down the waiter and ordered quickly, eager to catch up with Yelena and to hear how things were back home. Four years was a long time to be away from home, but she needed to save all the money she could if she was going to get to graduation and one day, open her own veterinary clinic. 

They spoke about home back in the Enchanted Forest. She learned that the community college had raised enough money from fundraisers to expand their library, that Mr. Kaven was celebrating the birth of his eighth grandchild, and they had welcomed a dozen calves into their reindeer herd. 

‘You look happier than when I last saw you, Maren,’ commented Yelena as she sipped her water after having updated Honeymaren on all the latest. 

The comment surprised Honeymaren. She didn’t think she looked any different since the last time she saw her aunt. Half a year shouldn’t have made such a difference and it wasn’t like there had been any changes to her life. No, that was untrue. She knew exactly what had changed in her life. Just thinking about Anna’s shy smiles directed at her, her blue eyes, and the brief contact of their held hands made her smile. ‘I’ve met someone, Aunt Yelena. She’s —‘ 

Before she could even describe how she felt about Anna, Yelena said, ‘You look just like your father did when he first met your mother. Completely smitten.’ 

A pang went through Honeymaren at the mention of her parents, before pride overtook the hurt when she heard she resembled her parents. ‘There’s just something about her, Aunt Yelana. She’s so guarded, but the more I spend time with her, she shows a little bit more of herself and I want to be the person she can be free with.’ Honeymaren shook her head and leaned back in her chair as the waitress placed her meal down. ‘I don’t even know what I’m saying. We haven’t known each other for very long, but I can’t get her out of my head somedays.’ 

Yelena twirled the fettuccine into a bundle with her fork. ‘My dear, you really have it bad for this girl.’ 

Honeymaren pushed the flat strands of pasta back and forth in the dish. There hadn’t been a day where Anna hadn’t appeared in her thoughts at least once. Mondays and Fridays were her favourite days, only because she knew she would get to see Anna at the diner. Seeing Anna was the thing she looked forward to. It motivated her and got her through her hardest days when she was too tired from working night shifts and her clinic placement, drained from studying for her exams, and stressed from keeping count of her bank balance. 

She took a bite of her food for something to do. Yelena was right. She had it so bad. 

‘Are you going to take her out on a date or are you just going to keep swooning over her?’ Yelena finished her pasta and wiped her mouth with her napkin. 

‘A date?’ Could she take Anna on a date? She hadn’t thought that far ahead, but a date? Nerves jittered through Honeymaren the more she thought about it. ‘I guess I could ask her for a coffee. She likes coffee.’ 

Honeymaren winced when Yelena slapped her own forehead with her palm, eyes rolling in exasperation. ‘You really are your father’s daughter. You work in a diner full of coffee, Maren, you need to be more creative!’ 

‘Coffee isn’t a bad idea Aunt Yelena! I mean, it’s not a completely bad idea.’ She shrugged. What was she going to say? _Hey, Anna, do you want to get a coffee sometime? I mean, during the day and somewhere else, not the diner._ It already sounded so terrible in her head. ‘Fine, I agree with you. No coffee.’ 

‘Look, you want to sweep a girl off her feet. You need to think bigger.’ Honeymaren had the desire to grab a pen and notebook to take notes. Who knew her aunt, the Chief of the Northuldra was also a relationship guru. ‘What does she like to do?’ 

‘She likes to read,’ said Honeymaren without missing a beat. 

Yelena stared at her blankly, a reproachful eyebrow raised and Honeymaren racked her brain for ideas. The last time she went out on a date with someone was through Tinder shortly after she had moved to Arendelle, when loneliness and homesickness had hit her hard enough that she thought a date would help. The date had ended with her consoling the young woman who’d cried in Honeymaren’s arms over her ex, and who had thought sex with a stranger was how to get over the heartbreak. It was the worst date ever, but at least she had made a friend. 

Honeymaren looked out the window for some inspiration. The Royal Palace was a majestic piece of architecture with its high walls, the towers with their arched windows, and balconies that looked out into the city. A date exploring the hidden tunnels and forgotten stories of the Palace would be her ideal date. Not like that would ever happen. It was not like she knew anyone in the Palace, and even if she did, no one would lose their job to sneak Honeymaren in, 

High up on one of the balconies on the west side of the Palace, Honeymaren saw a speck of blonde and for a moment she thought it could be the Queen. But she was too far away to make out anything definitive in the figure. Then she remembered her last conversation with Anna, and Honeymaren realised she had everything she needed to make their next meeting something that could meet her aunt’s expectations of ‘sweeping a girl off her feet’. 

Yelena winked at her. ‘See, I knew you’d get there in the end. Now listen, I’m going to tell you all about how your mother swept your father off _his_ feet.’

Honeymaren glanced up at the Palace, searching for that figure only to find that they had disappeared. She shook her head and settled back to listen to Yelena. Her aunt always told the best stories about her parents. 

***

The numbers on the report blurred and seemed to melt together the more Elsa tried to make sense of the calculations. But they didn’t make sense and that was the point. Each time she tried to balance the figures, the incomings and the outgoings for the year, none of it added up. She reached up to rub her tired eyes, but stopped short of touching. 

Elsa smiled as she remembered how Honeymaren had physically stopped her. The casualness of Honeymaren’s actions had felt so intimate to her and had her longing for more, and wishing she had more time to spend time with Honeymaren. She placed her pen carefully onto her desk and walked to her office balcony. The moment she pushed open the glass doors, Anna’s high-pitched scream reached her ears from where she was in the grounds below. 

The scream transformed into giggling laughter as Elsa watched Kristoff pick Anna and twirl her in the air. Anna’s arms looped around Kristoff’s neck, and her chest tightened at the ease of their interactions and the absence of ceremony. When Kristoff had joined the Royal Palace as the Royal Stable Master, he hadn’t realised who Anna was and had asked her to muck out the horse stalls with him. Two years later, they were engaged to marry and they still mucked out the horse stalls together when Anna wasn’t busy. 

Elsa sighed as she watched Anna run after Kristoff, not a hint of ceremony between the two. But that was Anna, she always had a way with everyone she connected with. Anna who smiled easily, who didn’t care if she stumbled over her words in her public addresses. Her younger sister took to her Royal duties like a fish in water. Where Anna exuded warmth, Elsa was the opposite. Everything about Anna endeared her more to the people of Arendelle. Whereas Elsa only seemed to raise their ire. She had never been good with being in the spotlight. Every time she appeared in public, she felt awkward and stilted, and no amount of etiquette lessons had helped when she was younger. She never knew how to bridge the gap between herself and her people. Elsa had thought becoming Queen would change her, that she would miraculously know how to act more naturally.

How wrong had she been.

There was one other person, other than Anna, who seemed to see her for the person she was and didn’t seem to care when her awkwardness settled in. The thought of Honeymaren drifted to mind and Elsa allowed herself a moment to silently revel in Honeymaren’s smile before she shrugged back on her mantle as Queen. 

Elsa placed her hands on the balcony railing, the weathered wood was rough against the skin of her palms, but she stayed upright, not daring to lean on it like she wanted. Even high up above the grounds, overlooking the city and the fjord, Elsa couldn’t let herself be anything less than the Queen. She breathed deeply, a wisp of mist appearing in the cold, afternoon air. 

‘Your Majesty?’ Elsa turned her head to see Kai accompanied by Captain Johansson. 

‘Thank you, Kai.’ Elsa nodded at the Captain. ‘At ease, Captain.’ 

Johansson saluted and their rigid posture eased a fraction. ‘You wished to see me?’ 

‘Yes, in all the years you have been my personal guard, then the Captain of the Royal Guard when I became Queen, you have proven trustworthy time and time again,’ Elsa paused as she thought about the trips to the diner. ‘Especially in the last two months. Your discretion has been invaluable, which is why I have decided to appoint you as the military advisor on the Council.’ 

Johansson’s expression was blank, but Elsa knew the captain well enough to see through the thinned line of their lips. ‘Permission to speak freely, ma’am?’

‘Permission granted.’ 

‘I am honoured to be the recipient of such high praise from your Majesty, but I regret that I must humbly and respectfully decline the appointment.’ Elsa’s heart sank as Johansson bowed, sombre and grave. ‘I do not wish to part from active duty, especially in this crucial time and I feel that I am of better use by your side as the Captain of the Royal Guards. I would not trust anyone else to oversee the “operations” that we have been running lately.

‘If I may be so bold to suggest another who, in my humble opinion, would be far more suited for the role than myself?’ Elsa nodded for the Captain to go on. 

‘General Mattias of the 1st Battalion Fenraldsen Regiment. He’s retired now, but he was also—‘

‘— My father’s personal guard,’ finished Elsa, as the memory of Mattias’ kind face came to mind. She hadn’t seen Mattias in years, not since her parents’ funeral. 

‘The General would be better suited for the council than me. His reputation in the Barracks has always been clean and I can vouch for his trust and loyalty to the Crown. If this is not the case, you may have my head.’ 

Elsa smiled wryly up at Johansson who towered over her by more than two and a half feet. ‘There’s no need to be quite so dramatic, Captain. Arendelle hasn’t had a beheading in over six hundred years and I am not about to break tradition for your head, but I thank you for your frankness and suggestion.’ 

She dismissed Captain Johansson who saluted before turning sharply on his heels to leave. With one parting glance at Anna and Kristoff on the grounds below, Elsa walked back into her office to carry on tackling the figures and reports. There was so much she needed to think through. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and encouragement. It really means so much!  
> If you feel so inclined, _Quarter Past Midnight_ by Bastille was the musical accompaniment to this chapter, though, it is wildly different in tone to the finished chapter (it does get angsty).

It turned out that tracking down General Mattias wasn’t as hard as Elsa had thought it would be. All it took was asking Anna. Her sister who knew everyone in the Kingdom. Who apparently also had a weekly tea and biscuit appointment with Halima. 

‘Having General Mattias join your Council is such a good idea.’ Anna bounced in her seat, hands clasped together. ‘Why didn’t I think of it?’

Elsa chuckled at Anna’s enthusiasm. Her sister had taken to the reorganisation of her Council like a military campaign. ‘Calm down, Anna. We don’t even know if General Mattias would agree to it.’ 

Given Anna’s obvious excitement, it was clear that she thought he would accept the appointment, even if it meant coming out of retirement. It didn’t take long for Kai to announce that the General had arrived and let him into the room. 

The moment General Mattias walked through the door, Anna jumped off her seat. ’Destin! It’s good to see you and in your uniform again.’ 

Mattias wore his military uniform like a single day hadn’t passed since his last day of active duty. The deep, green of the fabric was pressed and starched, his chest decorated with medals and honours, and the ceremonial sword hung from his hips naturally. 

‘Your Majesty, your Royal Highness.’ He bowed to Elsa first, then to Anna. He smiled so freely at them that it put Elsa at ease. ’It is good to see you both again.’

‘Thank you, General for coming at such short notice.’ She gestured for him to sit on the couch opposite hers. 

‘Please call me Destin, ma’am. It was no trouble at all, in fact, it was welcomed.’ He sat back on the couch, completely comfortable in her presence. ‘There’s really only so much you can tinker in the house and the garage before boredom sets in.’ 

‘Or before it starts driving Halima crazy,’ said Anna conspiratorially. 

Mattias chuckled in concession. ‘You’re quite right. She’s already told me off for trying to take apart the toaster.’ He cleared his throat, straightening in his seat. ‘But you didn’t request my presence to hear about my attempts at fixing things that aren’t broken. Ma’am?’ 

Elsa folded her hands on the top of her knees. She already liked Mattias’ straight to the point approach. ‘I wish to appoint you as the military advisor on the Royal Council.’ 

The easy and carefree demeanour from earlier fell away, replaced by the serious expression of the high-ranking military officer that Mattias was. He considered the request with his chin held between his finger and thumb. After no more than a minute, he nodded, coming to a decision. ‘I accept. I promised your father to always watch out for his daughters and I intend to keep that promise.’ 

‘Your loyalty is appreciated, Destin, and so will your advice and guidance in the future.’

‘If I may, ma’am, but who is the current military advisor?’ asked Mattias, his face carefully blank.

‘General Yurgen.’ 

‘He was the military advisor appointed by your grandfather. Has he decided to retire?’ 

Anna winced at the question and Elsa sympathised. If this was going to work, she needed to let Mattias know about their plan to oust the existing Council members. It was obvious Anna trusted him, but in the last few weeks, she had learned to be cautious with the information she shared. Her Councilors had deep pockets and an extensive network. 

‘Arendelle is not the same country that my grandfather ruled, nor the same as when my father ruled.’ Elsa assessed the older man across from her critically. It was easy to see him as only his rank and title, and forget about the man behind. The man who had protected her father with his life more than once. When her father had been alive, he had described Mattias as loyal and open-minded, and the kindest man he had known. If her father could place his trust in Destin Mattias, then Elsa could too. ‘The existing Royal Council is no longer what is best for Arendelle. I have to do the right thing, because our—,’ she paused, biting her lip, ‘— _my_ failure to question their judgement has led Arendelle to where it is now. And I have to fix that.’

Mattias was silent, long enough for Elsa to doubt herself, that her judgement had once again failed her. 

‘Thank you, your Majesty.’ Mattias bowed his head, his voice solemn. ‘I will do everything to show that you have not misplaced your trust in me.’ 

At Mattias declaration, the tight band around Elsa’s chest lessened a little for the first time since she decided that this would be the path she take. She was doing something right. 

‘Destin, we have to be quiet on this. From what I’ve found out so far,’ Anna looked at Elsa, who nodded for her to go on. ’The corruption is much wider, but Elsa and I are still trying to find enough evidence.’ 

‘I’ll do what I can to help. Maybe my old journals can be of use, if not, it will at least have the names of officers and officials from when I was still on active duty.’ 

‘That would be helpful and appreciated.’ Elsa turned to Anna and added, ‘The palace may be a little sensitive to discuss, but I will leave it with you and Anna. She will fill you in on our suspicions. I will continue with what I have been looking into.’ 

Mattias stood up when Elsa did and saluted. ’Ma’am, you will not be disappointed.’ 

Elsa smiled at the sentiment. ‘I don’t doubt it. You did come highly recommended.’

Mattias shrugged and held out his hands. ‘Captain Johansson is overly dramatic. You can’t always listen to that marshmallow.’ 

She raised her fist to cover the smile that Captain Johansson’s nickname brought to her lips. Anna on the other hand snorted loudly. She cleared her throat. ‘The Captain only had good things to say. However, I cannot say the same was said by Yelena of Northuldra.’ 

‘You spoke to Yelena? How is that old bird doing?’ A grin broke out of Mattias face.

‘You are well acquainted?’ She recalled the brief mention of Mattias’ name during her and Yelena’s meeting a few days ago, though nothing more than an eye roll and a few choice words was given at the time. 

Mattias laughed, his deep voice rumbling. ‘Acquainted? She was a real pain in my backside when I was first posted in Northuldra by your grandfather. Kept stealing my dancing space!’ 

Elsa smiled politely. She would have liked to keep talking with Mattias to learn more about the Northuldra, but she had another meeting in ten minutes. Yelena had already humoured her numerous questions on Northuldra culture when they had met. The Ambassador had gracefully not questioned her sudden interest.

It made her uncomfortable when she realised just how little she knew of the indigenous people who called Arendelle home. And she wanted to know more about where Honeymaren had come from. It was one more thing on the list of things she needed to do better. 

***

Elsa closed the door of the diner and brushed the snow off her coat. The cold didn’t bother her, but who was she kidding? Even she needed to wrap up warm when it snowed. Elsa stopped at the sight of Honeymaren sitting on a stool on the wrong side of the diner counter, scrolling through her phone and in clothes that were very much _not_ her work uniform. 

Honeymaren’s head perked up and she smiled brightly at Elsa. ‘Hey, you’re here!’ 

Elsa’s eyes were riveted on the woman and her mouth went dry. Her gaze travelled from the top of Honeymaren’s head to her red plaid button up shirt, lingered by the undone two buttons that showed a hint of her defined collarbones, before moving down to her black, denim skinny jeans to end at the clunky, Doc Martin shoes on her feet.

She swallowed the words that rose. 

How did she look so good? 

‘You’re drooling a little there.’ Elsa jumped at a voice by her ear. 

She spun round to see a brown-haired man with boyish looks and a teasing smirk. He wore the diner’s uniform, but the easiness of his expression reminded her of Honeymaren.

’Don’t be fooled by how effortless her outfit looks,’ whispered the waiter loudly from behind his hand. ‘Maren took two hours to get ready tonight.’

‘Ryder!’ 

The waiter turned to Honeymaren and grinned widely. ‘Sis! Didn’t see you there. Fancy seeing you here tonight.’ 

Honeymaren stalked over, thick coat in hand and a tightly held fist in the other. Elsa pressed her lips together and fought the urge to start laughing. So this was the infamous younger brother and everything about him reminded her of her own infamous younger sister. She watched as Honeymaren grabbed Ryder by the collar and dragged him away, all the while Ryder rolled his eyes and made faces behind her back. 

’I’m sorry.’ Honeymaren gave one final push to Ryder’s back to propel him in the direction of the coffee machine. ‘That’s my kid brother, Ryder.’ 

Ryder gave an exuberant wave as he added beans to the machine. 

A burst of laughter left Elsa, unable to contain it any more. ‘It’s nice to meet him finally. He’s exactly as you described him.’ 

‘Unfortunately,’ grumbled Honeymaren, glaring back at Ryder. ‘He’s doing this on purpose because I’ve asked him to cover my shift.’

That brought Elsa back to the question she had been meaning to ask before she had been distracted by Honeymaren in her tight, skinny jeans. 

‘You’re not working tonight?’ 

‘Nope! We’re going to go out,’ announced Honeymaren. 

‘We?’ 

Honeymaren looked up at Elsa, head cocked to the side. ‘Yeah, _we_ are going to spend time outside of here. So if you really have work to get to, you’re going to have to call in sick, because I’m not letting you out of this one.’ 

Anxiety squirmed inside Elsa at the sudden change of plans. She had never planned on a situation where she wasn’t actually in the diner. Captain Johansson was going to be so displeased and she hated disappointing them. But Elsa found herself nodding. Excitement fluttered in her stomach at the thought of being in Honeymaren’s sole company, outside and exploring the streets of Arendelle. Something she had longed to do, something she had never done before. 

‘Where are you taking me?’ 

‘That’s going to be a surprise.’ Honeymaren tugged on her coat, zipped herself up and pulled on her faux-fur lined hood.

Honeymaren grabbed onto Elsa’s hand. The warm touch kick started Elsa’s heart and transformed the flutter in her stomach into a snow storm. They walked out the door and past Captain Johansson standing outside like a sentinel, and all Elsa could do was throw an apologetic wince over her shoulder at Captain Johansson’s shocked face. She had complete trust in her Royal Guards, but she didn’t like to surprise them like this. 

The snow fell in a gentle flurry and Elsa couldn’t help but tilt her head back to watch, eyelashes fluttering at the cold touch of snowflakes on her face like kisses upon her skin. 

When she righted herself, she found Honeymaren doing the same, head tilted back and her face looking up at the dark sky. 

‘I haven’t done that since I was a kid.’ Honeymaren grinned, face covered with melting flakes of snow. ‘It kind of puts things into perspective.’ 

Elsa brushed the snow from Honeymaren’s face, fingertips playing at the strands of hair that had come loose from her braid. She twirled them in her fingers and tucked them into Honeymaren’s hood. 

There was the most lovely flush to Honeymaren’s cheeks, colouring her dark skin with rouge and making her freckles stand out. Elsa didn’t know where the courage came from, but she couldn’t help but run the backs of her fingers against Honeymaren’s face in wonder. 

‘Come on.’ Honeymaren closed her hand over Elsa’s fingers gently. Her brown eyes were bright and shining against the quiet night. 

Honeymaren guided Elsa down the street and she followed willingly, knowing that it meant she could spend more time with her. They kept walking, hand in hand, and Elsa didn’t dare break the silence between them. There was something magical about this moment with the two of them together, walking side-by-side in the middle of the night with snow falling from the sky, and with no knowledge of where she was going. She had placed her complete trust in Honeymaren. It was like something straight out of the novels she liked to read.

It was the dream that she had never allowed herself to dream. 

‘Okay, I know you like your coffee, but it’s snowing and it’s winter.’ Honeymaren dragged them over to the door of a closed cafe. She knocked on the window. ‘Which means hot chocolate!’ 

‘I hate to state the obvious, but the shop’s closed.’ 

‘Well, looks can be deceiving.’ Honeymaren wagged her finger and from behind her, Elsa saw movement in the dark cafe. 

A man appeared in pyjamas and if the glare was anything to go by, he was not happy to be awake at this time of night. He opened the door a fraction and shoved a takeaway cup through the gap. 

‘Thanks Cliff! I owe you one!’ said Honeymaren. ‘Say “hi” to Bulda for me.’

The grumpy man grunted and slammed the door closed. The “We’re Closed” sign hanging on the door rattled violently against the glass, but Elsa still caught the sly wink he gave Honeymaren before turning away. 

Elsa took the offered cup and held onto it. ‘I’ve had hot chocolate before.’

‘But this is _the_ best hot chocolate in all of Arendelle and my favourite! Once you’ve tasted it, you can never go back.’ Honeymaren continued to wax lyrical on all the good things about the drink as they walked away. 

Elsa raised an eyebrow, unconvinced that hot chocolate could be all the things Honeymaren had described. But Elsa couldn’t deny Honeymaren the joy of sharing her favourite drink with her. Or deny the warmth that flooded her body that Honeymaren was sharing something as personal as her favourite drink with her. A long, appreciative moan slipped from her lisp as sweetness exploded on her taste buds and warmth melted into her mouth. ‘I take it all back, I have never had hot chocolate like this before.’ 

In her appreciation, she hadn’t realised she had closed her eyes and when she opened them again, Honeymaren was staring at her with her mouth open. ‘S-see, I told you it was good.’

Mistaking the look for something else, Elsa pressed the cup into Honeymaren’s hands. ‘We can share.’ 

Honeymaren stared at the lid of the cup, another deep blush bloomed on her face as she brought the cup to her lips. Honeymaren gave a pleased sign, her tongue darting out to lick the corner of her lips. Elsa’s mouth went dry and a jolt of lightning heat went through her body. 

‘Come on, we have a lot to get through.’ Honeymaren took Elsa’s hand again, and all she could do was follow blindly, mind repeating that peekk of tongue. ‘I thought about what you said the other day, so we’re going to live tonight and do the things you haven’t done before.’ 

Honeymaren brought her to another shop front, but instead of dark and closed, the lights were on and twinkled with colour and so brightly that Elsa shielded her eyes. She squinted up to see _Oaken’s Gamer Corner_ boldly emblazoned in flashing lights. 

‘You brought me to an arcade?’ Elsa stared at Honeymaren in awe.

‘You have never played _Street Fighter_ and I just couldn’t let that go,’ said Honeymaren with a grin and she pushed open the door. The pulsing pitch of 8-bit music, electronic beeps and whizzing sound effects filtered into the night and into Elsa’s ears. 

Her eyes widened with childlike delight as she took in the flashing lights, the colourful arcade game machines, and dozens of claw machines full of toys to be won. 

‘See anything you want to try?’ 

Where could she even begin? Elsa turned on the spot, a little overwhelmed but in a good way, because Honeymaren had remembered. In the end she did try a little of everything: she shot at zombies with a huge plastic gun, raced around a track with her feet flooring the accelerator and hands making dramatic turns on the steering wheel, and punched combo after combo against Honeymaren on _Street Fighter._

‘Okay, I am so impressed right now.’ Honeymaren’s grinned, wide and expressive at Elsa. ‘You are amazing at every single game we’ve played.’ 

Elsa slotted the gun back into the holster after finishing a level on _Time Crisis 4_ and dusted her hands off. She winked at Honeymaren. ‘It’s just point and shoot, right?’ 

That was probably not how Captain Johansson would describe shooting a gun, but they weren’t here. They walked away from the games towards the claw machines. Elsa pressed close to the glass, examining the gifts in each machine. 

‘Oh, he’s cute.’ At the back was a stuffed purple and blue lizard, about the size of Elsa’s hand and with the dopiest grin she had ever seen. 

‘Not a gigantic stuffed teddy bear person then?’ asked Honeymaren, peering through the glass at the soft toy. 

‘I’m not a lizard person either,’ Elsa took out a coin from her pocket and slid into the money slot, ‘but this one’s got character and I want to take it home.’

There was a joystick and one big red button. Should be easy enough to work, thought Elsa. She had seen them on TV before. She manoeuvred the joystick so that it was right on top of the toy and pressed the button with a satisfied huff. Perfect alignment, there was no way the toy wasn’t hers. The claw dropped down and closed on the soft toy. Elsa shook with excitement, watching the claw as it ascended with the toy, but groaned when the claw released the toy before it even made it back to the starting position. ’No, that was so close!’

She turned to Honeymaren, indignant and ready to have another try when she found herself face-to-face with Honeymaren. They were so very close, close enough that Elsa saw the amber tint to Honeymaren’s brown eyes.

‘Can I try?’ Elsa nodded, breath catching in her throat at Honeymaren’s voice in her ears. ‘Let’s do it together.’

Honeymaren smiled softly and Elsa turned on the spot, back brushing against her thick coat. Her heart pounded in her ears as Honeymaren leaned close and reached around Elsa to put another coin into the slot. She took Elsa’s hands in her own, placing them on the controls, guiding every movement of the joystick until it hovered above the toy. 

‘Ready?’ Elsa shivered at the caress of Honeymaren’s warm breath against the back of her neck. Her heart thumped, every beat loud in her ears. She leaned back into Honeymaren’s solid form, seeking more despite the bulkiness of their coats. ‘Moment of truth.’

Elsa pressed the button and watched the claw descend onto the toy. With the toy grasped between the metal twines, the claw ascended, dangling and swinging precariously. She grabbed onto Honeymaren’s hand, needing something to hold onto as she waited with bated breath for the moment the toy would drop. 

Instead of releasing the toy on its way back to the start, the claw held on, made it all the way and dropped through the hole. Elsa squealed in delight, she turned around and wrapped Honeymaren in a spontaneous hug. Honeymaren hugged back, arms going round Elsa’s waist, hands resting between her shoulder blades. Elation melted into want as Honeymaren’s scent surrounded Elsa and all she wanted was to sink further into her arms. 

Even through the bulk of their coats, she still felt Honeymaren acutely. They stayed hugging, arms around each other. Elsa, reluctant to let go just yet. 

‘Yoohoo! Excuse me, but may I get through?’ 

Elsa sprang back and winced, the small of her back hit the controls of the claw machine. 

‘Oh, please be careful,’ said the tall, broad-shouldered man in a colourful blue and yellow knitted jumper. He touched the pads of his fingers and thumbs together. ‘We don’t want Irene breaking.’ 

‘Irene?’ choked out Honeymaren. She handed the toy to Elsa who put it into her coat pocket. ‘Oaken, you named the machines?’

‘Of course, it makes it easier to remember.’ Oaken smiled innocently. 

Elsa shared a look with Honeymaren, biting down hard on the inside of her cheeks to stifle the laughter that threatened to bubble from her chest. 

‘Can’t fault the logic there.’ Honeymaren nodded gravely, her face a mask of complete seriousness. ‘See you later Oaken.’ 

They hurried out of the arcade before collapsing against each other, holding their sides as laughter racked through their bodies. 

‘Irene is such a cute name!’ gasped Honeymaren between bursts of laughter. 

‘I’m sorry, but “can’t fault the logic there”?’ repeated Elsa in a perfect imitation of the serious tone Honeymaren had used, brushing the happy tears from her eyes that had escaped. 

‘But it’s true!’ Honeymaren protested with mock offence. She reached for Elsa’s hands instinctively, their fingers intertwining like it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

Elsa shook her head and let herself be led down the street, face hurting from smiling so much, and more than a little drunk from Honeymaren’s company. Honeymaren draped her arm over Elsa’s shoulder. She pressed close in response, holding onto Honeymaren’s waist and resting her head against her shoulder.

As they walked side by side, Elsa forgot all about the things that kept her up at night. Her heart swelled, filled to the brim with warmth she had never thought possible to feel for another person. Every exhaled breath hung in the air, a reminder that she was alive in this very moment. Every sure touch of Honeymaren’s hand on Elsa’s skin electrified her, and she sought that touch, that closeness like heat from a fire, unafraid that she could be burnt if she got too close. 

Every laugh caused by Honeymaren was a balm to the loneliness that draped over her like a well-worn coat. 

Elsa didn’t know if she had ever felt as alive as she did right now. The laughter had faded, but not the joy.

‘There’s one more place I want to take you,’ said Honeymaren, voice calm and low and so full of promise. 

They stepped into the Grand Plaza, but didn’t stop until they stood in the middle of the empty square, just in front of the fountain. The expanse of the square was covered in pure white, their footprints the only mark of imperfection. Honeymaren held onto Elsa’s hands, just two people against a backdrop of a sleeping city, with only the silence of the square surrounding them like a curtain of secrecy. 

Honeymaren stepped back and flung her arm out in an elaborate flourish before bowing at the waist. 

‘What are you doing?’ asked Elsa, confused and amused at Honeymaren’s antics all at the same time. 

‘I believe this is the way to start a dance?’ Honeymaren grinned and straightened up from her bow. She held her hand out and waited. ‘We’re in the city of Arendelle, known for its culture of music and art, and you don’t like dancing.’ 

‘I hate dancing Honeymaren.’ 

‘Well, it’s a good thing I don’t actually know how to dance. I wouldn’t want you to do something you hated. But you wouldn’t leave a girl hanging, right?’

Elsa rolled her eyes at Honeymaren and pretended to lift imaginary skirts. She gave her best curtsey, gaze fixed straight on Honeymaren as she rose and took Honeymaren’s outstretched hand. 

Honeymaren twirled Elsa, but only succeeded in tangling their arms. The laughter returned like an old friend as Elsa tried to untangle herself only to trip on her feet and into an unintended dip when Honeymaren caught her again.

They tried and failed at a waltz. Honeymaren didn’t know where her hands were supposed to go, and Elsa stood on Honeymaren’s feet more times than could count. Neither of them knew how to lead and according to Honeymaren, no amount of _Strictly Come Dancing_ episodes had helped either. Their dances devolved into Honeymaren teaching Elsa the macarena, to Elsa trying to remember her childhood ballet lessons, to Honeymaren convincing Elsa to try twerking, to Honeymaren demonstrating how to twerk to Elsa’s breathless giggles. 

‘It’s a good thing my boots are hard,’ joked Honeymaren.

Finally they tried just holding each other. They swayed from side to side to the rhythm of their own music. Honeymaren’s arms wrapped around her waist were the accompaniment to Elsa’s arms looped around her neck, fingers linked and playing with the loose strands of hair that had escaped her braid. She didn’t want to let go. Elsa ducked her head. ‘Sorry, I told you I hate dancing.’

Honeymaren chuckled and tried to tilt her head down to catch the look on Elsa’s face, but Elsa turned her head away playfully. ‘But you did so well. You’ve taught me so many different types of dances, and I tried to do the same.’

‘Big fish, small fish, cardboard box is _not_ an acceptable dance move.’ Elsa laughed lightly as she remembered how Honeymaren had seriously tried to convince her it was a classic. ‘Even I know that.’ 

She hated dancing, but she had fun. The whole night spent with Honeymaren had been fun. Elsa had never felt as carefree as she had in the last few hours. Sharing hot chocolate with someone important, playing games in an arcade, and dancing in the snow in the middle of the Grand Plaza in the dead of night? The Elsa from two months ago would have scoffed at the thought that she could do any of those things. Who would share a drink with her? How could she dance when she was so concerned with making a fool of herself. She had spent a lifetime concealing herself behind perfect gestures and flawless actions. Dancing for the sake of dancing, no matter how bad they had danced, was something she never would have agreed to do two oinths ago. Not even Anna could convince her to let go.

But Honeymaren had. Honeymaren with her encouraging words, sunny smiles, coaxing challenges, and kind brown eyes. 

They were so close together that Elsa could see the freckles on Honeymaren’s cheeks. Her gaze drifted to those warm, brown eyes that had never once passed judgement on Elsa, down to soft lips red from the cold.

Hope kindled in Elsa’s heart at a possibility of something more. Had she been looking for a little bit of hope all this time? Elsa craved Honeymaren. She craved for this moment to be untainted by her deception. Control slipped from between her fingers and misery drenched Elsa’s mood like a sudden downpour. Each minute spent with Honeymaren made her forget who she was. She had only exchanged one mask for another. But under all her masks, she was still the Queen of Arendelle with the weight of the country on her shoulders. There was so much she could not do. Regret forced its way into Elsa. She shouldn’t have done this, no matter how much her heart yearned otherwise. There was so much she should have done and said to Honeymaren before this moment. 

‘Where did you go?’ Honeymaren held Elsa’s face between her hands, frown firmly in place. ‘What’s made you so sad?’ 

Elsa pressed her face against Honeymaren’s hand, seeking the heat of her skin and comfort from the gesture. Fear struck her still. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth and yet, Honeymaren still waited patiently for Elsa. It was all Elsa could do to try and amass her courage into something she could wear. 

‘I have something I need to tell you,’ whispered Elsa. Her heart started and stopped, and started again as she searched for the right words. 

But all she could focus on was the softness of Honeymaren’s expression, the shy lift of her lips, and the spark of hope in her eyes. How could she deserve this woman in her arms? When all Elsa could do was bring complication, instead of simplicity. 

‘Take your time.’

Elsa felt herself falling, head tilting further and further until the gap between her and Honeymaren became nothing more than a finger’s-breadth of space where words could be exchanged in the lowest of voices. 

Instead of words, Elsa pressed her lips against Honeymaren’s, swallowing the surprised gasp and tasting chocolate in the heat of her mouth. She poured every memory into the kiss, all the time spent talking in the diner, the smiles Honeymaren had given freely as she had indulged Elsa’s questions. She poured in all the happiness from tonight. A sob rose from the depths of her chest, violent and painful as she poured everything into a goodbye. 

Elsa broke the kiss abruptly, voice thick with emotion as she spoke the two words that shattered their early morning dream. ‘I’m sorry.’ 

Confusion filled Honeymaren’s eyes. Hurt deadened and numbed Elsa’s body. She swallowed once, twice until the crushing grip on her lungs loosened enough for her to breath. With every breath, she assembled her ranks, shrugged on her battle armour and wore it like the Queen she had to be. 

‘I’m not in the right place to be with anyone. If only things were different.’ Elsa held Honeymaren's gaze even if it meant seeing the surprise and hurt seep into Honeymaren’s eyes, dousing the hope that had blazed from their kiss. 'If things were different, I-I—’

‘Hey, hey, Anna? It’s fine.’ Honeymaren looked stricken, hand shaking as she reached out, only to slowly withdraw her hand as Elsa jerked away.

Elsa flinched at her fake name and shook her head wildly. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She bit her trembling lip and stepped back one step, two steps, three steps until she was far enough away that Honeymaren couldn’t reach out easily. From the forced absence, the memory of Honeymaren’s touch faded and all Elsa felt was bone-chilling emptiness as the cold hit her. 

‘I’m sorry, Maren.’ Elsa closed her eyes in frustration and opened them again, hot tears slid down her cheeks. ‘I-I need to go.’

Without another glance, Elsa ran from the plaza and away from Honeymaren as fast as her legs could carry her. But no matter how hard her feet pounded against the snow-covered pavement, she couldn’t run from the memory of how _right_ it had felt to be with her. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading and sticking with this. The comments, kudos, bookmarks, etc are like fuel for the soul - thank you!

The moment Honeymaren got home, she hid herself in her bedroom and burrowed under her duvet, wrapped herself in extra blankets and covered her head with her pillows. She let darkness envelope her. The silence only made it worse as she recounted every single moment of the night she spent with Anna. She relived the happiness and laughter, the kiss that filled her with so much hope and warmth, only to be extinguished with a heart-wrenching ending.

Anna had snuck into her life in the early hours of a September morning, ordered a coffee at midnight when everyone should have been sleeping and like a thief in the night, she had stolen a part of her. Since then Honeymaren’s life hadn't been the same. 

She stuck her head out from her duvet cocoon and breathed deep. But the more she punished herself with the memory of the last few hours, the more it didn’t matter that she had read Anna all wrong. Even with the sting of rejection, all she wanted was for Anna to feel okay. They had a good thing going. She had never had a friend like Anna before. Now she had blown it all for a feeling in her gut. Honeymaren’s heart hurt with the memory of sadness in Anna’s eyes. It had torn her apart that she couldn’t do anything about Anna’s tears. 

The sound of the apartment door being unlocked broke through the quiet and Honeymaren grimaced. Was it already the end of her shift? It took Ryder less than thirty-seconds to storm into her dark room, only to turn tail. He stormed back out and closed the door behind him quickly. 

‘Sorry, um, you don’t have company do you?’ Ryder’s muffled voice sounded through the wooden door. 

‘You can come in,’ said Honeymaren listlessly. ‘It’s just me.’ 

The door opened a crack for Ryder to stick his head through. Deeming it safe, he stepped the rest of the way into Honeymaren’s room. ‘Were you sleeping?’

‘No.’ She shifted over for Ryder to sit down. Her bedside lamp clicked on and she slammed her eyes shut against the blinding light. 

‘Woah! Are you alright, Maren?’ 

Honeymaren opened her bleary eyes, dark blue and purple shapes bounced in her vision, and she glared at Ryder, ‘I was before you blinded me.’

‘Come on, sis…’ Ryder looked down at her with concern. ‘Did things not go well with Anna?’ 

She scrubbed at her face with her forearm, sniffling as she wiped off the dried tear tracks. ‘I screwed up, Ryder.’ 

‘What? How? Anna seemed really into you.’

‘Well, you got that wrong.’ She got up and rested against the headboard. ‘No, I don’t know, I must have got the signals all wrong. She said she wasn’t in the right place for a relationship.’ 

‘Oh.’ Ryder’s shoulder slumped. ‘Maybe it’s not the right time now, but maybe later?’ 

Honeymaren gave a little smile. She had to hand it to her brother for finding something positive out of a negative. But it was true. It wasn’t the end of the world, no matter how much it felt like it. ‘Just being friends with her will be enough, that’s if she even wants to now.’ She groaned and sagged back down. ‘I’ve really ruined things.’ 

‘Come on, no, you haven’t. You’ve been talking non-stop about Anna since she started coming into the diner. She seemed genuinely nice and you didn’t see her when she came in. She couldn’t take her eyes off you. So she’s definitely interested. Just give her time.’

When did her kid brother get so good at relationship talk? ‘Are you practising your psychology degree on me?’

Ryder grinned. ‘Is it working?’

Honeymaren punched him on the arm, but he was right. Anna had things going on, ghosts in her life that followed her. She saw it in the tenseness of her shoulders that crept up when Anna was lost in thought. She needed time, and Honeymaren would give her time. She wasn’t going to lose Anna before things had even started. 

***

After that night, Elsa threw herself into her duties and tried to push the memory from her mind. But no matter how many times she tried, her mind wouldn’t let her forget about Honeymaren. The littlest things would send her longing to see the other woman. Anna’s morning hot chocolate. The sight of snow drifting past the window of her office. The cute toy lizard Honeymaren had won for her took pride and place on her bedside table. It was worth millions more to Elsa than all the jewellery she owned. 

Elsa shook her head and refocused on the numbers in front of her, squinting at the brightness of her laptop screen. No matter how long she had spent going through Lord Bergman’s reports, the numbers hadn’t added up and the Lord hadn’t been able to answer any of Elsa’s questions as to why. So Anna had taken the matter into her own hands. Her sister had smiled and charmed her way into acquiring a laptop, and even convinced the Royal Treasury’s IT team to grant her full access to the entire accounting and financial system of the Royal Treasury. 

Anna had waltzed into Elsa’s office with the laptop under her arm, a large smile fixed firmly in place and eyes a little manic as she had regaled her with the story. Data security was going to be something she needed to address when this was over. 

Elsa scrolled through report after report, year after year, and tried to make sense of it all. They seemed almost as unreadable as the redacted versions. With every year she went back, her frown got deeper, bottom lip more chapped as she worried the sensitive skin with her teeth. The same account number appeared, the same account that had been consistently redacted. She went through the accounts in the last few years, to the four years when Arendelle had been governed by a regent before she had come of age, and finally to the year her parents had died. Elsa’s eyes widened at the number of zeroes that had entered and left on the day of her parents’ death. 

This was so much deeper and went so much further back than she and Anna had first thought.

The door to her office banged open. Elsa shot up from her seat, finger pressing the panic button underneath her desk in precise, practised movements. The Duke of Weselton stormed in just as Captain Johansson and two other Royal Guards ran in from a connecting room, immediately flanking Elsa with their weapons drawn. 

Elsa glared at the Duke who hesitated but didn't quail in his boots as she wanted. His eyes went to her trio of guards, looking formidable in all black tactical gear, faces blank and expressionless. 

‘Your Majesty, pardon my intrusion, but I must speak with you on a matter of great importance.’ The Duke stepped closer only to stop moving as the guards pressed in closer to her. ‘I have come from a meeting with the Ambassador of the Southern Isles. He has raised an alarming issue regarding that lot up north near the dark sea.’ 

‘The Northuldra,’ corrected Elsa sharply, deeply unimpressed at the Duke’s ignorance. ‘They are called the Northuldra and it would do well for us in Arendelle to respect that.’ 

‘Of course.’ The Duke bowed his head. ‘Ambassador Westergaard has heard rumours that the _Northuldra_ will be attending the Winter Solstice ball.’ 

‘There is no rumour.’ Elsa walked to the front of her desk, her guards moved with her seamlessly and would not leave her side until she dismissed them. ‘It is a fact that I have extended an invitation to the Northuldra to attend the first Winter Solstice ball since the passing of the late King and Queen.’ 

‘Had the Council known, we would have advised against it.’ The Duke cleared his throat importantly. ‘The Ambassador has informed me that the intelligence agency in the Southern Isles has reported some alarming activities from the Northuldra that may threaten the security of Arendelle.’

‘Now that _is_ a rumour. I have heard no such report from our own, but since you have brought it to my attention, it would be remiss of me not to ask for it to be investigated further.’ Evidently, the Duke was unaware that she had met with Yelena a few weeks ago. ‘I am scheduled to meet with Ambassador Westergaard soon, so he may discuss this rumour with me directly. Was that all you wanted to tell me so urgently?’ 

The Duke hesitated and rocked slightly on his feet. ‘There is one more matter, your Majesty.’ 

With the slightest tilt of her head, she gave the Duke permission to continue. 

‘It is regarding the reports Lord Bergam provided for this year. Are they to your satisfaction?’ 

It took a second longer than usual for Elsa to reply, taking care with her answer. ‘There are parts that will require Lord Bergam to clarify. That is to be expected as the report is only a draft and the financial year hasn’t ended, so I’m sure it will make sense in the end.’ 

‘Well, you are in good hands with Lord Bergam,’ the Duke nodded thoughtfully, a less than genuine smile appeared beneath his bushy moustache. ‘I wouldn’t worry yourself over these things if it’s far too complicated, ma’am. I always find it’s best to leave it to the professionals where we lack knowledge in the subject.’ 

Elsa forced her body to remain still, lips fixed in a painted smile on her face. She reminded herself to breathe normally as she fought to keep her rising irritation down. ‘We all benefit from your wisdom and advice, and I am sure Lord Bergam is very deserving of your praise.’ 

‘Thank you, your Majesty. I will take my leave--’

'Captain Johansson, if you may be so kind and have a member of the Royal Guard escort the Duke out,' said Elsa diplomatically, when all she wanted was for Johansson to haul the Duke out by the back of his trouser and dump him face first into the snow. 

'You are too kind, but that will be unnecessary.' 

'Oh, I must insist. It will be no trouble at all.' Elsa glanced at Johansson who in turn nodded at the other two guards. The guards moved and took their place on both sides of the Duke, waiting silently for further instruction. 

Elsa held the Duke's eyes in a silent battle of wills that she would undoubtedly win. The Duke straightened his lapels with a tug, yielding to Elsa's unwavering gaze. 'If you insist, ma'am, then I will graciously accept.’ 

The Duke looked at Elsa's laptop and the few documents on her desk embossed with the Royal Treasury's seal, suspicion in his eyes before he bowed curtly and left. The doors shut with a bang.

Tension gripped Elsa's shoulders. Her posture rigid as she examined the Duke's parting look. The Duke of Weselton was a shrewd person, a known tactician in his younger days, and the documents on her desk had inadvertently revealed her hand. She had added fuel to the Duke’s suspicions. 

She walked behind her desk and called Kai who picked up on the first ring. 'Send for Princess Anna and General Mattias urgently,' said Elsa, voice tight and stern as she tried to calm the erratic rhythm of her heart. 

Elsa sat down behind her desk, the slightest tremor shook her hands as she stamped down the anger that rose like a tidal wave inside her at the Duke's actions. 'Captain, I would like you to stay for this meeting. Your expertise will be needed.' 

Captain Johansson nodded without a word, eyes fixed straight ahead. Their gaze wavered, flicking to her before quickly blinking away. ‘Your Majesty, it’s a Monday.’ 

An intense pressure started in the middle of Elsa’s chest at the mention of the day. It had been three weeks since she last saw Honeymaren. Every Monday and Friday like clockwork Johansson would remind Elsa and every time she would repeat the same answer.

‘Thank you for reminding me, Captain. I will be in the palace today.’ 

Johansson nodded again and lapsed back into their usual stony silence. Elsa turned back to her laptop. The numbers on the screen made no sense to her blurring vision, but she pretended to read them anyway as she ignored the aching in her chest. 

***

'Your Majesty, we must be careful. If what you suspect is true, that your parents’ death was an assassination, you must act more cautiously,' advised Mattias, voice low with concern. 

Anna and Johansson bristled at the words left unspoken. All Elsa felt was tired. 

'I agree, ma'am. We must tread carefully,' echoed Johansson. 'I can start the investigation and look into the bank account discreetly. There is someone I trust in the Police Department who I can reach out to, but off the books.'

Elsa stood facing the crackling fire with her back to the three other occupants in the room. She stared at the hands of the century-old clock on the mantelpiece. Every tick a passing second in her life. Could her reign stand the test of time or would Queen Elsa of Arendelle break and be relegated to history as the one who failed her country all because her life was at risk? 

'Captain, start the investigation and be discreet about it,' said Elsa firmly as she made her decision. She turned around, face set in stony determination. 'But for me, it will be business as usual. It must look like nothing's changed and I will not limit my public appearances.' 

'Elsa!' 

'No, Anna, we need to root out those involved otherwise this will never end,' Elsa interrupted Anna's protest before it could start. 'We won't be able to do that if things look out of the ordinary.' 

The fire popped as the wood burned. The ticking clock was a constant presence in the uncomfortable silence following Elsa's exclamation. Anna frowned at the floor, hands twisting in worry. 

'Her Majesty is correct I'm afraid.' 

It was Captain Johansson who spoke, a pained expression on their face at having to admit that putting Elsa in danger was the only available option right now. 

With nothing more to say and something that didn't even resemble a plan of action, Elsa dismissed Mattias and Johansson. The moment the door clicked shut, Elsa gripped the mantelpiece, staring at the hands of the clock as it ticked into the evening. Another three hours before midnight. The line of her shoulder went tight with tension, though her body felt like sagging to the floor. She heard Anna approach from behind and her hand touched Elsa's arm. 

She turned to see Anna's eyes widen. 'You're crying.' 

Elsa touched her face and stared at the tears on her fingertips in surprise. She felt hollow and numb, and completely detached from the concern that Anna, Matias and Johansson had felt for her. So why were there tears?

‘Hey, I know you’re worried, but we'll get through this together.' Anna pulled Elsa to her and she sank into the hug, but the usual comfort didn't reach her. 'I'll be there every step of the way.' 

Elsa shook her head, unable to find the words to express why she felt this way. She swallowed the lump that had risen and lodged itself in her throat.

Anna didn’t say anything and waited, and Elsa wished that her sister wasn’t so infinitely patient when it came to dealing with her. But when she said nothing, Anna ventured tentatively, 'I know I can't stop you, but please be careful if you go out tonight.' 

The tears ran hot and fast at Anna's words, and Elsa closed her eyes at the pang that went through her, bleeding pain into the empty spaces that had been present moments ago. She breathed in deep, focusing on each breath as the room spun in a dizzying array as everything finally caught up to her. 

'I'm not going tonight,' said Elsa quietly. 'I haven't for a while now.' 

Anna leaned back, eyes searching Elsa's face for something she wasn't sure of. Whether Anna found it, Elsa didn't know as Anna led them to the couch in the middle of the office. 'What happened? Why do you look so sad?'

The lump in Elsa's throat seemed to grow in size, eclipsing the little space left for her to breathe. The thought of telling Anna about everything sent a wave of guilt and regret crashing over her. Why did Anna always start with the hard questions? 

Elsa rubbed away the tears with the back of her hand, only for more to appear as she was reminded of Honeymaren again. Her mouth opened and closed until the words were ready. 'I've been going to this diner on _Fredensgade_ , and…’ Elsa breathed deeply, steadying herself as she tried to encompass the feelings that Honeymaren inspired in her. She shrugged. 'I met a woman.' 

Anna's expression softened at the meaning hidden behind Elsa's words. 'Oh, Elsa, that's great. What is she like?' 

How could she put into tangible words the peace she felt just by _being_ and sharing the same space as Honeymaren? That their first few meetings had been silent with only the empty diner stretching between them, but it had been the most seen and alive Elsa had ever felt in her life. 

Even with a wig as a poor excuse for a disguise, Elsa hadn't felt like she was concealing who she was, not in the way she did in front of everyone else. What words could adequately explain how a lifetime of reinforced walls had crumbled in one night as she had held onto Honeymaren's hands, laughing freely and being taught that life was more than obligation.

It was in the soft press of Honeymaren's lips and the delicious grip of hands on her waist that Elsa had discovered how much she could _want_ another person. But it was Honeymaren who had shown her that living didn't mean finishing one day to start the next with only duty to drive her forward. 

'She's… she's everything.'

Anna smiled at her simple answer. 'What's her name?' 

'She’s called Honeymaren,' Elsa shook her head, 'But it doesn’t matter... I can't be with her.' 

She felt Anna's protest before it happened. 'But she makes you happy Elsa.' 

The words hit her like a punch in her gut. It sent her reeling and breathless. 

'I don't think I've ever seen you smile like the way you do on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.' Anna reached out and held onto Elsa’s hands. 

‘I can’t Anna,’ repeated Elsa, dejection weighing heavy in her bones.

She looked around her office, the same room that had served as an office to her father, her grandfather, and every King and Queen before them. Every piece of furniture in the room from the 19th century wooden desk to the venetian-style couch she was sat on had history, and Elsa felt every part of that history whether she wanted to or not. She turned her hands palm up, an ineffectual gesture that didn’t encapsulate how wide and far reaching the world was for her. 

Why would anyone give up their freedom to spend their life behind closed doors? ‘I can’t be with her. Not when I have to be what’s best for this Kingdom.’

‘What are you talking about? Of course, you can be with her. Why would being Queen stop you if you love her? Look at me and Kristoff, we’re…’ 

The rest of what Anna said faded. Elsa’s ears rang as her mind latched onto the word that Anna had thrown so casually into the world, invoking a truth from words alone and one that Elsa couldn’t accept.

Anna kept talking until Elsa interrupted. ‘She doesn’t even know who I am. I used a fake name whenever we met, so it doesn’t matter how I feel. It’s not like she knows the real me anyway.’

_Liar,_ Elsa thought viciously to herself. 

Anna’s expression fell, her usual sunny smile disappeared as she squeezed Elsa’s hands in sympathy. 

Elsa wrapped her arms around herself to ward off a chill that had nothing to do with the winter. 


	5. Chapter 5

Honeymaren looked up at the door to the diner only to sigh again. She turned back dejectedly to the exercise sheets and reports she needed to finish for her lab tomorrow. She had lost count of how many times her ears had played tricks on her, thinking she had heard the diner door open.

With each passing day, Honeymaren waited for Mondays and when Anna didn't show, she waited for Fridays until three weeks had passed at an achingly slow pace with no sign of the other woman. She tried to focus on her school work, worked at the diner to keep her mind occupied, but her thoughts wandered and lingered to unwanted places.

She feared she had missed her chance and Anna had slipped from her before they could even talk about it. Honeymaren sighed and stared out the window of the diner, and wished for her shift to finish soon.

***

‘Did you hear?’

‘The Royal Palace is finally going to open its doors to the public again!’

‘The first Winter Solstice ball in nearly four years!’

‘The Palace announced that the public can apply and they’ll draw twenty names.’

Honeymaren stepped around the group of students congregated at the entrance of the veterinary school office and walked in. Her lab assignment wasn’t due for another few days, but for the past three weeks, she had nothing other than school work to distract her. The winter holidays were approaching, which meant the end of the school term. Not even the idea ofnimpeding Yule festivities and school holiday could offer any reprieve to Honeymaren.

‘Thanks.’ Honeymaren smiled and passed her completed assignment to Helena, the receptionist.

‘Do you think you’ll apply?’ Helena checked the cover sheet before placing Honeymaren’s assignment into a tray with her professor’s name on. The in-try was decorated with green and red tinsel. The entire school office was an explosion of tinsel and from the ceiling hung a constellation of shiny, silver baubles. 

‘Apply for what?’

‘For a chance to go to the ball at the Royal Palace,’ replied Helena cheerily. ‘If you get drawn, you can bring a plus one. My partner would be over the moon if one of us was picked!’

‘Oh, that.’ Honeymaren cringed and shook her head. ‘What would I even wear to something as glamorous as the ball?’

Who would she bring as her plus one even if she was drawn? One person came to mind, but Honeymaren forced the thought away.

‘Aw, you would look great whatever you wore.’

‘That’s kind of you.’ Honeymaren smiled at Helena, said ‘bye’ and left the office to go home.

As she made her way across campus to the bus stop, she passed a crowd gathered by the newly renovated Iduna library. People spilled onto the path, some stood impatiently, tapping their feet whilst others craned their heads over the top of other heads. Honeymaren went on tiptoes, but the crowd blocking her way was large and dense. With no other option, Honeymaren pushed through the crowd.

‘What do you think the Queen is like?’

‘I don't know why everyone's so excited. It's not like she's going to stop and talk to us peasants!’

‘She's so beautiful and everything about her is so perfect.’

‘I actually like Princess Anna. At least she actually smiles!’

Honeymaren ignored the comments, realising belatedly that today was the day the Queen was going to unveil the library. She struggled through the tightly packed crowd, intent on making her way across to the other side of the path. But the crowd grew anxious, jostling and nudging Honeymaren until she found herself at the front, stuck behind the temporary barriers and unable to go back the way she had come. She looked over her shoulder to meet the glares of everyone she had inadvertently cut in front and turned sheepishly back to the front. Fine, she would watch the unveiling and then go home. It wasn't like she had a choice now.

A hush fell over the crowd, the sudden silence swollen with anticipation. Honeymaren leaned forward against the barrier. The reporters and photographers waited, kneeling on the other side of the barrier, phones and cameras ready. She heard the slow taps of high heels against the pavement and craned her head to the sound. The breath in her lungs left in a rush, in awe at the sight of the woman accompanying the university's Vice-Chancellor.

Queen Elsa was as regal and majestic as she looked on screen. The dark navy pea coat was the only protection she had against the cold December morning and complimented the royal blue dress the Queen wore underneath. The nude-coloured heels matched her clutch, and peaking just below her right cuff was an unassuming silver bangle. She looked stunning, thought Honeymaren, and apparently, so did the photographers as camera flashes went off. 

Honeymaren watched each careful step of the Queen as she walked to the veiled plaque on the wall of the Iduna library. There was nothing timid about Queen Elsa, chin raised ever so slightly and eyes chilly like the frigid blue skies of an Arendelle winter. With her shoulders pulled back and hands held onto her clutch, the Queen carried herself with poise and power, exuding strength from the very core of her being.

Every gesture and facial expression, every subtle shift of her body and the tilt of her head was like a carefully choreographed dance. The was something to the flat line of her lips and the impassivity in her eyes. Honeymaren felt the invisible divide between her and the Queen like a palpable presence. From behind the barrier, the several short feet between her and the Queen only seemed greater. But beneath the impassive expression, beyond the line of her lips and aloofness in her eyes, all Honeymaren saw was the loneliness of the title. 

The Queen unveiled the plaque without preamble, so quickly and efficiently that it probably didn’t warrant such a big ceremony, but the crowd around Honeymaren cheered and clapped. Cameras flashed to capture the moment when the Queen offered her hand to the Vice-Chancellor who darted forward to shake it.

There was an almost imperceptible lift to the corner of the Queen’s lips, but she ducked her head before Honeymaren was sure she had seen it. The Queen reached up, brushing her fingertips up and over the shell of her ear, as if she was tucking a piece of hair behind it. Honeymaren frowned at the curious action. Not quite déjà vu, just a familiar gesture on an unfamiliar person that she couldn’t quite place.

Queen Elsa turned and looked straight at Honeymaren. Ice-blue eyes widened and Honeymaren’s heart lodged itself in her throat as realisation slammed into her like a punch to the gut.

‘Honeymaren?’

The entire row of reporters and photographers in front swivelled in unison to face Honeymaren. She swallowed thickly and took an involuntary step back, feeling a hundred pairs of eyes on the back of her head. For a blessed five second moment, the world was silent. Then all hell let loose.

‘Honeymaren, how do you know Queen Elsa?’

A reporter thrust a microphone in Honeymaren’s face, one foot on the metal railing, ready to scale over the barrier to reach her.

‘What’s your relationship with the Queen?’

Honeymaren’s vision went white and she brought her hand to shield her eyes as multiple cameras flashed in her face. 

‘What’s your story and how are you connected to the Queen of Arendelle?’

Honeymaren turned her back to the reporters. A sea of phones held aloft were pointed right at her. Uncaring if she stood on feet or accidentally slapped a phone out of a hand, she pushed her way through and shouldered past the crowd, driven by the panic coursing through her until she broke free of the press of bodies.

***

It took less than five minutes for videos of Queen Elsa whispering Honeymaren’s to go viral, less than ten minutes for #whoishoneymaren to start trending on social media, and less than fifteen minutes for Honeymaren’s phone to blow up with non-stop texts and calls. She switched her phone off and threw it into her bag. She needed to get home. There it will be better. 

Honeymaren stepped off the bus and pulled her coat hood further down, so that it covered her face as much as possible and burrowing her into the collar of her coat. As she turned the corner onto her street, she jerked backwards and pressed her back against the brick wall. She peeked round the corner, eyes widening at the sheer number of people waiting outside her building.

Less than an hour since the incident at the university and they had managed to unearth her address. Honeymaren tapped her foot and bit her lip, worrying over her next move. She needed to get to her apartment. With anxiety thrumming in her veins, Honeymaren forced a breath out and ran. She ducked her head and fought through the crowd of reporters, ignoring the surprised yelps and intrusive cameras, and barrelled through the front door. Without a backward glance, she ran up the six flights of stairs without stopping, fumbled clumsily with the lock. She slammed the apartment door shut and locked it again.

Honeymaren’s chest rose and fell, gasping for air, each breath a harsh inhale and exhale, hitching and catching in her throat as her blood roared in her ears. She slid to the floor, drained and tired as the adrenaline tapered off. Her hands shook. She reached up and brushed her fringe, strands of hair plastered to her forehead from sweat. She unzipped her coat, but didn’t take it off, unable to do much more than rest against the door as reality came crashing back in.

Anna had never been Anna in the first place. Honeymaren clenched her eyes closed, forehead scrunching up as she second-guessed every single moment she had spent with Anna- No… Elsa.

How had she got it so wrong?

She thought back to the woman she had come to know. The one who turned her nose up at decaf, but still drank it when Honeymaren poured it into her mug. The one who buried the bottom of her face into the neckline of her hoodie when she got nervous. The one who smiled softly with her chin resting on her hand as she listened to Honeymaren complain about her studies. It didn’t match with her idea of a Queen. 

Queen Elsa was solemn and rigid, but in that single, whispered utterance of Honeymaren’s name, she was the woman who had danced with her in an empty plaza to music of their own making, and had kissed her so desperately, so full of pain and yearning beneath the falling snow.

Honeymaren released a shaky breath and leaned back, bumping her head against the wood. The dull ache at the back of her head was nothing compared to the tightness in her chest as if there was a band wrapped around her ribs, constricting and tightening with each breath she took.

The doorbell rang and Honeymaren shot to her feet, heart racing and mind whirring as dread prickled the back of her neck. The cheery music box rendition of The Entertainer only made the jittering in her veins worse. She peered through the peephole of the door and jerked backwards at who stood on the other side. As much as she didn’t want to open it, she couldn’t stop her shaking hands from unlocking the door and pushing down the door handle.

Honeymaren stared in disbelief at the sight of Queen Elsa of Arendelle standing in the dingy hallway outside her apartment, looking so out of place and incongruous. 

‘Your Majesty.’ She bowed her head, unsure of the correct protocol expected to be complied with when meeting royalty. At least, when she was aware she was in the presence of royalty.

‘May I come in?’ asked Elsa, her tentative tone at odds with the almost, blank mask on her face. An imperceptible crease marred Elsa’s eyebrows before it disappeared as if it had never appeared in the first place. But Honeymaren had seen it. She had tried to learn every detail of Elsa’s face when she was Anna. She would recognise that frown anywhere. 

‘It’s not like I can stop you.’ Honeymaren’s words were unexpectedly bitter and so uncharacteristic that it startled her. She opened the door fully and stepped to the side.

Elsa made no move to enter and in her hesitation, another crack appeared on the mask as her gaze dropped to the floor, her knuckles white from her tight grip on her clutch. ‘I will have to ask the Royal Guards to sweep the apartment before I can come in,’ Elsa paused and looked up, biting her bottom lip before softly adding, ‘Would it be alright if they had a look first?’

Honeymaren closed her eyes briefly, struggling with the warring emotions inside that rose like a swell of the sea in a storm. She wanted to hold onto her anger fuelled by Elsa's deception, but how could she when all it took was a look from Elsa for the rage to die to a simmer, for her to reach a compromise within herself just so she could understand why Elsa did what she did.

God, she was so gone for this woman.

‘Yeah,’ said Honeymaren, opening her eyes and nodded.

Elsa’s shoulders relaxed a fraction and with the barest shake of her head, three hulking members of the Royal Guard dressed in black, tactical gear marched into the apartment. Honeymaren watched as one went into her bedroom, then Ryder’s, another took the bathroom and the kitchen, whilst the last, the tallest and with the broadest shoulders slowly traversed the living room.

When the other two guards gave the 'all clear', they left the apartment in briskly. The tallest guard, who must have been the commanding officer in charge, turned to Elsa and said, ‘Everything’s clear, we’ll take our position outside.’

‘Thank you, Captain.’

The Captain jerked their head and marched out. The door closed with a sharp click, unbearably loud in the resounding silence as their world shrank to just the space between the four walls of Honeymaren’s apartment. They stared at each other in a silent battle of wills. One that Honeymaren was resolute in not being the first to give in. Out of the two of them, she was not the one that needed to explain themselves.

But as the seconds passed, Honeymaren’s bolstered waneed, unable to bear the way Elsa wrung her hands and the dejection clouding her eyes. Even armed to the teeth in full regalia as the Queen of Arendelle, Honeymaren still saw past the glitz and the glamour to the shy woman who had walked into the diner and had taken an irreplaceable spot in her life.

She was weak of heart and weak for Elsa. Hurt radiated like a wound in her chest. Despite it all, the pain and anger of betrayal so fresh and her emotions so close to the surface, Honeymaren wasn’t sure she could do anything about her feelings for Elsa. So she caved, folding inwards, because what else could she do in the face of Elsa and all that she felt for her? ‘Your Majesty—’

‘Please,’ interrupted Elsa with pleading eyes. ‘Please call me Elsa.’

Honeymaren would have laughed had she had the strength. From the moment she had appeared at her door, not once had Honeymaren thought of her by anything other than Elsa.

‘You look beautiful, Elsa.’

The stoic detachment in Elsa's schooled features, the rigidness in her shoulders, it all fell away as her face crumpled like a house of cards. Elsa bit her quivering lip, the soft leather of her clutch creased in her clenched hands, every part of the Queen was stripped away and all that was left was the woman Honeymaren had fallen so deeply for in a matter of months. And that was the problem. She wasn't one to hand down a judgement without an explanation. No matter how much she hurt from the deceit, Honeymaren wasn’t going to turn her back so easily, so she stood still and waited for Elsa's move.

'I'm sorry,' said Elsa, voice so quiet that Honeymaren almost didn't catch it. ‘I’m so sorry.’ 

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘I- I don’t, I didn’t, I...’ Elsa started and stopped, eyes filled with anguish, and it took everything Honeymaren had in her to not cross the few feet between them to offer comfort. When Elsa found the words, it was a truth that Honeymaren wasn’t sure how to take. 'I didn’t want you to know. I wanted to keep being Anna from the diner, I didn’t want anything to change. Mondays and Fridays with you were my only solace and I didn’t want to taint that by who I am.’

Even now with everything out and open between them, the elephant in the room, the hidden but very present title of Queen was left out by Elsa.

Elsa scoffed and shook her head, her hand brushed a loose lock of hair behind her ear. ‘I was selfish and scared.'

'I would have listened.' Honeymaren threw caution to the wind and against her better judgement, she took a step, then another and another until they stood close enough to touch.

'I know you would have.' Elsa smiled tremulously. ‘You were the only one who saw me for who I am,' her throat bobbed as she swallowed, a pink blush coloured her pale cheeks and it looked all the more rosier framed by blonde hair instead of black. ‘Then we danced and we kissed, and I realised that it was too late.’

'It's not too late, Elsa,' whispered Honeymaren, kindling hope where she could. She had feared she had lost her chance when Elsa hadn't returned to the diner, she wasn't going to let this second chance go.

Elsa stared at Honeymaren, eyes watery as she cupped Honeymaren's face. The breath in her throat hitched and she leaned into the touch, soaking in the contact for as long as she was allowed. The warmth of Elsa’s hand on her face was hot, but her body felt ice cold, waiting for the inevitable.

The hope that had sparked in Honeymaren went out like a flame and her shoulders slumped.

Elsa was Queen and they were one and the same.

It didn't matter if they were two distinct personas to Honeymaren, because there were five million people in Arendelle who saw Elsa as their Queen.

Arendelle needed their Queen.

And Honeymaren couldn't be the only one to monopolise the Queen when there were people who needed her more.

Even if it felt like she needed Elsa more than others.

Elsa leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Honeymaren’s temple, trembling lips lingered on warm skin for seconds longer before pulling away. Elsa turned away sharply to the door where she froze. For one delirious moment, Honeymaren thought Elsa would let go of the door handle, turn around, but she didn't. She opened the door and left in a brisk walk, the sound of her heels fading down the hall as she walked out of Honeymaren's life once more.

'Ms. Nattura.' The Captain crossed the threshold and blocked Honeymaren's open doorway. They reached a hand into one of the pockets on their body vest and brought out a business card. 'In case.'

Honeymaren held onto the offered card, but the Captain's grip was strong and unrelenting. It looked like it physically pained them to hand the business card to her. Honeymaren let go, too exhausted to fight and too drained to feel anything other than misery.

The Captain nodded, seemingly satisfied he slipped the business card into Honeymaren's coat pocket. They left her apartment without a word, closing the door on their way out.

Honeymaren wasn't sure how much time had passed as she stood facing the closed door. Time seemed to stretch and shorten. It could have been seconds, minutes, even an hour by the time she reached into her pocket. She looked down at the business card, the thick and textured card was embossed with a single telephone number in gold. No name. Just eight numbers in no particular order.

The door slammed opened, jerking Honeymaren from her thoughts.

'Maren! That-that was Queen Elsa coming out of our apartment!' Ryder gaped at her, arm outstretched and finger pointing out into the hallway. 'What the hell is the Queen doing here!?'

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading & the comments, it's such a joy to see all the comments on how the plot may progress ;)

Three days. 

That was all it took for Honeymaren’s resistance to crumble like the Northuldra dam did back in the 50s. 

At least the dam had stood for over fifty years before it broke. Three days was all it took for her to pick up the card from off her bedside table with intent to call. She walked back into the living room, phone in hand and paced the length of her tiny apartment. 

Honeymaren ran her finger over the gold numbers. There was no need to read the numbers. She had turned the card over and over in her hand within the first hour of receiving it. The texture memorised beneath her fingertips. The numbers committed to heart. The hope it had kindled inside her again. 

It could have been a number to anything. 

There was nothing to say that the person who would pick up was Elsa. 

The Captain had given her the business card. Reluctantly. The cryptic ‘in case’ had kept her awake at night. The golden numbers followed her as she went to school and worked at the diner. She stopped at the window and stared at the building opposite. Elsa followed her with every thought. 

‘Come on, Maren.’ She typed the number into her phone. Her thumb hovered over the call button. ‘What’s the worse that could happen?’ 

Kidnapped and tied and thrown into the fjord. What a way to go, drowning in the icy depths of the water’s clutches. She chuckled to herself and shook away the morbid thought. 

With a deep breath, she pressed the call button and immediately hung up before the dial tone rang. 

‘Oh, to hell with it.’ Honeymaren punched the call button again and waited, foot tapping an incessant beat as her phone rang and rang. 

‘Hello!’

Honeymaren stilled at the cheerful voice filtering through the earpiece. That definitely did not sound like the Captain’s voice from the other day. 

‘Hello? Is anyone there? Olaf, is it you again? I told you to stop prank calling me!’ The woman on the other line sounded annoyed. 

‘Er, hello, this isn’t Olaf. I was given this number a few days ago by … er…’ What was the Captain’s name? Honeymaren swore she had heard Elsa use it. 

An excited scream pierced Honeymaren’s ear. She jerked the phone away from her head and winced at the ringing in her ear. 

‘Oh my God, is this Honeymaren?!’ The woman's voice was loud and audible despite being at arm’s length away from Honeymaren’s head. ‘Hello? Honeymaren?’ 

She stared at the phone and slowly, cautiously brought it back to her ear. ‘Yes, this is her?’ 

‘Great! I’m so glad Captain Johansson gave you the number. The Captain’s such a stickler for rules and protocols, with good reason of course! Keeps the Queen safe, but for a moment there, whew!’ 

The woman on the phone babbled away and Honeymaren was barraged with words and words until her head spun. 

’S-sorry, I’m sorry, can I interrupt?’ The line went silent. ‘Who is this?’

‘Oh, right I forgot! This is Anna, Elsa’s sister.’ 

Honeymaren choked on her own spit. She coughed and coughed, all while Princess Anna was telling her to get a glass of water. She ran into the kitchen for water, drinking it straight from the water jug and pouring most of it down her front. 

‘Honeymaren, are you okay?’ 

She gasped for air as she put down the jug. 

‘Yes?’ she squeaked out. Honeymaren cleared her throat. ‘Yes, I am. M-my apologies your Royal Highness. I thought the number was for someone else.’ 

What sounded like a raspberry being blown filtered through to the phone. ‘Call me Anna! It’s just you and me. The etiquette police aren’t going to arrest us for not using proper titles.’

‘Er, sure… Anna.’ 

‘There we go, much better.’ Anna’s voice brightened before turning serious. ‘I asked the Captain to give you my number, but can we meet up to talk? It will be easier to explain in person.’ 

Honeymaren pulled the phone from her ear again, feeling like she was getting whiplash. She touched her forehead with her palm. No, she wasn’t having a fever dream. This was very much her reality. She sighed. What did she have to lose?

‘Sure, where should I meet you?’

And that was how Honeymaren played host to two members of the Royal family within a space of a week. It had taken Anna less than half an hour to arrive at Honeymaren’s apartment after hanging up. Not enough time for Honeymaren to straighten up anything beyond making sure the kettle was filled with water for tea or coffee. 

There really wasn’t anything she could do to save the sad plastic Yulet tree Ryder had brought home. It drooped under the weight of the tinsels, plastic baubles and lights, standing morose in the corner next to the TV.

Honeymaren jolted at a knock on the door. At least it wasn’t the doorbell. She opened the door. 

‘Hi, Anna?’ 

Apparently that had been the right thing to say. Anna’s smile brightened and she waltzed into the apartment. Honeymaren stuck her head out, but saw no one else. 

‘Do you need someone to take a look first?’ asked Honeymaren as she closed the door. 

‘Nope!’ Anna took off her purple trench coat and draped it over the sofa arm. She sat down and made herself comfortable. ‘No one wants to waste their time on assassinating a princess. That’s just for Elsa.’ 

Honeymaren blinked. She closed the door, speechless and more than a little stunned at how casual Anna, the real Anna was. ‘Can I offer you a drink? Tea or coffee?’ 

‘Tea would be great!’ 

‘Oh, sure.’ Honeymaren fumbled with the cupboard that held her meagre collection of teas. ‘I have Breakfast, peppermint, and—’ She opened a tin hidden at the back and closed the lid immediately, ‘— yeah, just Breakfast or peppermint.’ 

Anna went with the peppermint tea and Honeymaren brought over two mugs of it to the sofa. She sat down next to Anna, knees turned towards her, and waited for Anna to finish sipping her tea.

It was such an unusual scene. Princess Anna sat on her and Ryder’s sagging, red sofa and looking not entirely out of place. Compared to Honeymaren’s jeans and t-shirt, which she had hastily changed into from her shorts and tank, Anna was impeccably well-dressed in a black turtleneck and a deep, blue skirt that reached mid-calf. 

‘This hits just the spot.’ Anna hummed and put the mug down on the low table. She placed her hands on Honeymaren’s arms. ‘It’s so good to finally meet you. Elsa’s not really said much, but it’s what she hasn’t said and then what happened a few days ago…’ 

Honeymaren almost flinched at the contact, but held still, muscles tensed. Anna’s words rushed over her like a tidal wave over a boat. 

‘I’m sorry,’ Anna withdrew her hands, noticing Honeymaren’s discomfort and smiled sheepishly. ‘Kristoff’s always telling me to take a step back and let people breath first before I run in guns blazing.’ 

Honeymaren laughed. The imagery seemed fitting to how she felt about the situation. ‘It’s okay, really, I just don’t normally play hostess to members of the Royal family and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind few days.’ 

Few months, thought Honeymaren. 

‘Ugh, tell me about it!’ Anna collapsed against the sofa as if she had done so a hundred times before. ‘The one time Elsa actually goes out in daylight, she breaks the internet! But it was kind of good to slap an emergency injunction on those paps, not often I get to to that.’

‘Wait, that was you?’ The very obvious absence of photographers and reporters outside her apartment had made her suspicious. But Honeymaren had put it down to the fact that news got old quickly. 

‘Oh no, that was all Elsa, I just called the lawyers.’ 

Honeymaren’s chest tightened and she leaned back too, tiredness seeping into her as she sank into the sofa. Even when she wasn’t around, Elsa still made her presence known. ‘Is Elsa doing okay?’

Anna looked at her with a sideways glance. ‘Are you doing okay?’

‘I—’ Honeymaren closed her mouth and swallowed hard. She blinked quickly to stave the sudden rise of emotion. It was like the question had given her permission to cry, when in fact, crying was the last thing she wanted to do. ‘No, I’m not.’ 

Anna passed Honeymaren’s mug of tea to her. She gratefully accepted it and gulped it down, eyes stinging from the heat of the tea as it travelled down her throat. Not hot enough to burn, but enough to be uncomfortable. 

‘Elsa’s not doing so great either.’

Knowing that didn’t make Honeymaren feel any better. ‘I’m sorry, why did you want to speak to me?’ 

‘I only wanted to meet the person my sister was sneaking out of the palace to see every week.’ Anna cocked her head. Her carefree expression belied the seriousness in her eyes, as if they were assessing Honeymaren. ‘I haven’t seen her happy in a long time. Not since before our parents had died, so I wanted to see who you were.’ 

Honeymaren nodded at Anna’s heartfelt words, full of love for Elsa. ‘She made me happy too, but I guess she’s made her decision? If you’re worried that I’ll say something to the media, you don’t have to worry. I wouldn’t do that to Elsa.’ 

‘So that’s it?’ 

‘What?’ Honeymaren turned to Anna, surprised by the annoyance she heard in the younger woman’s voice. 

‘So that’s it?’ repeated Anna, shifting on the sofa to face Honeymaren. Lips pursed and eyes ablaze in a furious expression. ‘Elsa makes you happy, you make her happy, and you go your separate ways without a fight?’ 

Tension ran through Honeymaren’s body; her shoulders grew rigid and her fists clenched with indignation. Anna didn’t know the first thing about her. How dare she accuse her of failing to fight when all she wanted to do was fight. That despite it all, she would do it all over again just so she could spend a moment longer with Elsa.

‘What do you expect me to do Anna? She’s the Queen of Arendelle,’ said Honeymaren, shifting towards the end of the sofa and crossing her arms. 

‘She is Elsa first before she is Queen.’ 

‘Then I’m respecting Elsa’s wish!’ snapped Honeymaren. 

She shot off the sofa and walked to the window. The vision of the building opposite swam as if it was underwater. Cautious footsteps approached her a moment later. 

‘I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to push like that.’ 

Honeymaren sighed heavily. She dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her t-shirt. ‘Why are you even here?’

It was Anna’s turn to sigh, a curious mix of resignation, fondness and concern in a single exhale. ‘Things are changing in Arendelle, I can’t say more, but in between all that, the meetings Elsa had with you were the only thing that she seemed to look forward to,’ Anna’s hands clasped together. ‘I don’t want her to lose that because she thinks she doesn’t deserve it.’

‘That’s untrue.’ Honeymaren balked at the idea. Why would Elsa be undeserving when it was the other way round? 

‘Have you met Elsa?’ asked Anna jokingly, but her expression sobered. ‘Look, I care for Elsa and unless my judgement on who you are is wildly wrong, which it has been in the past, I think you care for her too.’ 

‘I do care for her.’ More than care, if Honeymaren was being truthful. 

‘Then I have a plan, but you have to know what you’re getting into.’ 

It had taken three days.

Three days for Honeymaren to wish she had tried harder, fought harder. 

Three days for Honeymaren to be drawn back into Elsa’s web by a stroke of luck or a twist of fate, and it wasn’t too late for her to fight for Elsa. 

***

Elsa stared at each and every member of her Council sat around the circular table. She started with the Duke of Weselton who puffed out his chest and straightened up to make himself taller. Then she moved to Lord Bergam who couldn't hold her gaze. From there she watched Lady Trinnelium of Tusberg who raised a challenging brow, then to the next and the next until she reached the formidable General Yurgen. The General stared back with a raised chin, defiance in his eyes and Elsa found herself in a battle of dominance. 

'Your Majesty, we must express our concern regarding the rumours,' started Lord Bergam, he coughed delicately into his fist. 'The rumours about a common woman.' 

She held her gaze on General Yurgen for a moment longer before she diverted her attention, conceding for now in order to turn to the Lord Treasurer. ‘Concerns? Please do continue.’

'The Palace has not responded to the rumours, but we among your trusted circles are—‘

‘—If I may interrupt, and please forgive my rudeness my Lord,’ cut in Lady Trinnelium. Lord Bergum merely shrugged and with a careless flick of his hand gave the floor to her. ‘What his Lordship means to say is that this is a delicate matter which must be handled… delicately… Your Majesty, we must be cautious of your station and—’

General Yurgen pounded his fist on the table, silencing the room. Elsa’s expression hardened as she waited. The General was an intimidating man with a strong brow and square jaw. His long, silver hair was tied back to better emphasise the scars upon his face. 

‘We cannot have this rumour besmirch the Crown!’ growled Yurgen. ‘What you do in the privacy of your own time is none of our business, but when it becomes public, these…’

‘These what?’ Elsa asked helpfully without an ounce of genuine consideration.

Cold fury prickled the back of her neck. Elsa gritted her teeth to hold off the anger that only seemed to rise quicker, closer to the surface with every passing day. She desperately wished Anna had been available when the Council had requested the emergency meeting. 

‘These liaisons.’ Yurgen finished, head tilted as he regarded Elsa with triumphant eyes. ‘Your Grandfather would not have stood by silently.’

Elsa's eyes flashed dangerously and Yurgen closed his mouth with a clack of his teeth. ‘You will do well to remember that I am not King Runeard, nor am I, King Agnarr.’

The room fell silent as every member of her council held their breaths. 

‘Though, I do appreciate each of your continued dedication to the Crown, the matter of these rumours are being handled by the Palace’s PR department. The official response is no response.’ Elsa paused and looked at each of the faces around the table. She started with Lord Bergam, ‘As to the rumour itself, a common woman?’ Then she turned to Lady Trinnelium, ‘A delicate matter?’ Finally, she stopped at Yurgen, ‘Liaisons?

‘It appears that this Council meeting has been called to interrogate and to substantiate the rumours with assumptions of your own making?’ The three Councillors dropped their gazes to the table. ‘Would that be a fair assessment?’   
  
No matter how spacious the Council’s meeting room was or how large the table was, the silence pressed upon them like a thick fog and the distance between each of them seemed to shrink. 

‘Forgive us, your Majesty.’ It was the Duke of Weselton who broke first. ‘Our concern is to the Crown first and foremost, our line of questioning was not meant as an interrogation, but rather to offer guidance.’ 

It was an attempt to placate, not done especially well, but it was enough to divert attention and Elsa nodded, tired from defending herself against yet another intrusion into her private life. 

Without any further mention of the incident at the university with Honeymaren, the Councillors left the room. Elsa collapsed back into her chair and leaned heavily on her hands. 

There had been no triumphant victory for Elsa today, only bone weary tiredness and a chill in her bones at General Yurgen’s choice of word. 

Elsa’s teeth and jaw hurt from how hard she clenched them.

It was as if he knew.

‘Elsa?’ Anna appeared at the entrance of the room, hand resting on the handle of the closed oak doors. She hadn’t even heard her come in. 

‘Hey.’ Elsa leaned back and tried to offer a smile. 

‘I’m sorry I missed the meeting,’ said Anna as she sat down next to Elsa. She wore her purple coat, the shoulders dotted with droplets of melted snow. ‘What was it about?’ 

‘Nothing important worth mentioning.’ 

Anna's eyebrow rose. ‘That bad?’ 

‘That bad.’ Elsa sighed and took a moment to collect herself. She needed all the energy she could muster to get through her next meeting. A hand on her wrist caught her attention and she turned to her sister. There was a frown on Anna’s face as she bit her bottom lip, eyes assessing Elsa in the way Anna only did when she was up to something. ‘What are you doing?’ 

‘Don’t know what you mean.’ Anna’s eyes darted away, flitting from the table, to the ceiling, then back to Elsa. She huffed at Elsa’s raised brow, but relented, worry colouring her voice . ‘I just wanted to ask how you’re holding up?’ 

‘I’m fine,’ said Elsa shortly. She withdrew her hand and placed it in her lap. 

It was Anna’s turn to sigh and she shifted in the mahogany chair, tucking a leg under herself and uncaring of all the times Kai had told her off for scuffing the aged wood. Anna folded her arms over her chest. ‘Really? Are you really fine?’ 

Elsa closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Ever since she had told Anna about Honeymaren, she had been relentless with the questions. It had only got worse after she’d asked Anna to call the lawyers. ‘Anna, please.’ 

The fight in Anna’s body dissipated just as quickly as it rose, shoulders drooping in defeat, but her eyes steeled. ‘I can’t bear to see you so unhappy. You can still make it up to Honeymaren.’ 

‘It’s too late,’ Elsa shook her head. She was so, so tired of it all. ‘I’ve already hurt her too many times.’

How many chances did someone get before one more ‘no’ became too much? Having had enough of the conversation, she braced her hands on the chair’s arms and got up. ‘I have a meeting with Hans Westergaard.’ 

Anna made a face, recoiling a little. She graciously allowed Elsa the change in topic and followed her out of the room. ‘Remind me what I saw in that guy to want to date him?’

‘I don’t know Anna, wasn’t it something to do with finishing each other’s sandwiches?’ joked Elsa, as they walked back to her office, forcing levity into her words though she didn’t feel it. ‘Or was it the mental synchronisation?’

‘I think it was the bottle of Akvavit I drank at my graduation party. That gave me some serious spirit spectacles.’ Anna shuddered and pretended to gag, from the memory of the alcohol or Hans, Elsa wasn’t sure. ‘We broke up and it was a good thing. I’m only a bad judge of character when it comes to people in my life!’ 

‘Well, drunk or sober, you really shouldn’t try to marry someone you just met.’ Elsa dodged into her office to avoid Anna’s swipe to her head. 

***

‘I saw your interview on the Late Night Show with Ernst Otterbjörk.’

Hans leaned back, eyes widening in surprise that the Queen would do something so ordinary as watch a late night talk show. ‘You did?’

'Yes, I did.' Elsa rested her hands in her lap. She had in fact watched a re-run after seeing it at the diner, but Hans didn't need to know that. ‘I agree with your opinion that both the Southern Isles and Arendelle have a good relationship.' 

'It makes me very happy to hear that.' Hans placed his gloved left hand over his heart humbly. 'It is with that fact that I truly believe that our countries will be able to resolve the trade issue.' 

Elsa smiled tightly. The trade dispute was a sensitive matter between their two countries. Something that would only be resolved if the Ambassador moved his stance on allowing a meeting between her and the King. ‘Of course, this would certainly be on the agenda should we meet with the King.’

The genial expression on Han’s face dropped a fraction before his smile renewed. ‘I imagine it would certainly be, but as you know, domestic matters are being prioritised by the King, so it may be some time before an audience can be arranged.' 

Elsa crossed her legs and delicately folded her hands on her knee. It would have been an unimposing gesture had she chosen to wear a dress today, but the meeting with Hans had been in her diary for weeks. An occasion that called for a little posturing in the form of her grey, slim-fit pantsuit and black high heels. 'Well, we can certainly wait. It is always good to make sure one's house is in order before we look too far afield.' 

He brought his fist to his mouth and coughed, eyes tightening as Elsa had hit a sore point. It was no secret that Hans had been fobbed off to Arendelle as the Ambassador, because there was no other position left for him in the Southern Isles. Elsa had found the fact saddening. 

‘There is certainly wisdom in those words, which brings me to the more important part of my meeting.' Hans tugged at the cuffs of his blazer. ‘Our intelligence agency has been monitoring certain suspect groups in the Southern Isles and as part of our surveillance, our agents have reported chatter from a splinter group in Arendelle.’

Hans leaned in close and rested his elbows on his knees, hands steepled in front of his face. He pursed his lips; his shoulders rose with the movement of a heavy sigh, eyes trained onto Elsa’s.

'Our reports show that this group will be targeting the Winter Solstice ball,' finished Hans.

Elsa mulled over the information Hans had divulged, feeling no need to rush her next words. ‘Did your intelligence agency mention where the splinter group was based in Arendelle?’ 

‘They isolated the location to North Arendelle, on the border to the Northuldra,’ replied Hans without a beat. 

‘But not in Northuldra?’

‘No, our intelligence does not cover the Northuldra Autonomous Region.’ 

Elsa nodded, satisfied with Hans’ reply, catching the differences in Hans and the Duke’s answers. ‘The Duke has raised your concerns to me and in turn, I have alerted Arendelle’s Intelligence Service,’ replied Elsa finally. The concerned expression on Hans’ face flickered into surprise. ‘They have taken the threat seriously as they should. I have also increased security for the ball. Everyone in and out will be screened.’

Hans cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, gloved fingers tugging at his sleeves. He smiled at Elsa, though it was more a grimace than a smile. ‘That is… very good to hear.’

‘Security is, of course, very important, but I wouldn’t want to deprive the Arendelle people of their first Winter Solstice ball in years.’ 

‘Quite right, it has been three years?’ 

‘Four,’ corrected Elsa shortly. 

‘It was my first year as Ambassador and I remember watching the news of your parents’ yacht burning.’ Hans shook his head. ‘Terrible accident. You never know when it comes to old yachts and the electrical wiring.’

Elsa froze and the blood roared in her ears at the implications of Hans’ answer. She wet her lips and put on her best mask. ‘It was fortunate that Anna and I were at home.’ 

‘Yes, it was very fortunate.’ Hans looked up and for the first time, Elsa felt the chill of dread slide down her spine at his sympathetic smile. 

It took everything in Elsa to return the smile as best she could. She could count on one hand the people who knew how her parents had died. 

Hans Westergaard was not one of them. 

  
***  


‘Anna, are you sure about this?’ 

‘Yes I’m sure! Otherwise I wouldn’t have suggested it!’ cried Anna from behind the curtain. 

Honeymaren clutched the fabric to her chest as Claude, one of the assistants, pinned the fabric into place, taking up the hem until it just covered the heels she wore. She couldn’t remember the last time she wore heels. 

It turned out that Anna’s plan was inviting Honeymaren to the most prestigious and internationally renowned fashion house in all of Arendelle. If Honeymaren was going to grace the halls of the Royal Palace at the first Winter Solstice ball in years, it would be by wearing the clothes of Arendelle’s most celebrated fashion designer. 

No, it couldn’t be off-the-rack Olaf Olsen. It had to be ‘bespoke’ Olaf Olsen. 

So Honeymaren had walked into the offices of Olaf Olsen, feeling out of place and more than a few feet smaller in her own clothes. Anna had ferried her into a large studio filled with a whole team of designers, fashion stylist, hair and make-up, and of course, Olaf Olsen himself. 

Claude straightened up and readjusted the tape measure around his neck. ‘Ready?’ 

‘Yeah, I guess so,’ breathed Honeymaren, nervous and uncomfortable. 

The curtains surrounding Honeymaren were pulled back with a rattle of metal hoops against the railings. 

The whole room gasped as Honeymaren stood, stock still on the podium and growing hot under the spotlights and attention. 

'You look amazing in this dress,' gushed Anna, hands clasped to her chest as she moved around Honeymaren in dizzying circles. She stopped in front of Honeymaren on her fifth circuit and pursed her lip, finger tapping away at her chin. 'Honeymaren, what are your thoughts?' 

'On the dress?' Honeymaren looked down at the fine gown pinned together at the seams. She gave a twirl, the silky silver material fanned and the sequins glittered like diamonds under the spotlights. It was beautiful. She felt beautiful in the dress. 'I've never worn anything so fine. It's gorgeous.' 

Slow, loud claps echoed in the studio and the crowd parted to reveal Olaf, dressed in all white as he walked up to stand next to Anna. ‘Stunning! Didn’t I tell you Anna that she would look splendid in this?’

'You look so beautiful in this dress.’ Anna released a long sigh, the back of her hand went to her forehead, pretending to fall backwards in a swoon. She righted herself before she fell. ‘Which is why it pains me to say this, but we have to go with something different.’ 

Olaf gasped, hand pressed to his opened mouth and he voiced Honeymaren’s disagreement before she could find the words. ‘But Anna, she looks perfect in this dress! It would be a waste if she didn’t wear this to the ball!’

‘I know, Olaf, but we need to go with something….’ Anna paused and spun on the spot as she thought of the word. ‘… Impactful! Honeymaren needs to take the breath away of everyone in the ballroom, but most of all Elsa’s breath! I want Elsa swooning at the very sight of Honeymaren!’ 

Olaf pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. ‘The dress is impactful and Honeymaren wears it like a dream. It is swoon-worthy.’

‘Yes, but I want Elsa to be so stunned and completely blown away by Honeymaren when she walks into that ballroom. You and I both know what Elsa likes.’ 

A sly grin slid onto Anna’s lips. Olaf raised an eyebrow in an elaborate arch. They turned to each other and whispered furiously, and all Honeymaren could do was watch, held in place by pins and at the complete mercy of Anna and Olaf’s decisions. 

Their conversation fell into a bickering match, squabbling good-naturedly, humorous and with more smiles exchanged compared to all of her and Ryder’s arguments. It was like watching a tennis match as Anna threw one suggestion only for Olaf to veto it with a slicing motion of his hands, who then threw another idea to have Anna shake her head violently in disagreement. Honeymaren turned to Claude, ‘Are they always like this?’ 

‘They have strong opinions. They’ll reach an agreement soon enough.’ Claude pulled the curtain around her again and started to unpin the dress, carefully folding the silk into tissue paper. ‘We’ll make the dress anyway, so you can wear it to the next ball.’ 

‘There’s another ball?’ Honeymaren pulled on the dressing gown and wrapped the tie around her waist. Did that mean she would have to endure more fittings like this in the future? 

Claude smiled mysteriously. ‘You won’t be able to escape that easily. When Princess Anna sets her mind on things, she will see it to the end.’   
  
That was a scary thought. She pulled the curtains open to reveal Anna and Olaf, heads close together and still whispering to each other, gesturing with their hands, glancing and squinting at Honeymaren as they examined her with crossed arms, only to go back to their whispering. It didn’t take long for a sketchbook to appear in Olaf’s hands. His hand moved with lightning speed as Anna directed from over his shoulders. 

A loud yell from Anna made Honeymaren jump, almost causing her to fall off the podium. 

Anna took the sketchbook from Olaf and came over the podium. She thrust the book into Honeymaren’s face. ’What do you think?’ 

Honeymaren blinked down at the figure that was meant to be her. She nodded slowly, then firmer and smiled at Anna. Elsa’s was going to be breathless at the sight of her. 

She was going to sweep Elsa off her feet. 

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to talk to me on [tumblr](https://flyfromreality.tumblr.com/)


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